Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
COLUMBUS (AP) — Gene Mohrmann had been looking for the right opportunity to retire for a few years.
He was ready to leave Mohrmann Tool Inc. in the right hands, if he could only find those right hands first.
Then, last March, Joe Eckert came through the door.
The Columbus Telegram reports Eckert walked in wanting to start a machining shop near his hometown of Tilden and just wanted to get a sense of what owning that shop would entail. During that first visit, the conversation quickly turned to owning that particular shop.
“Within about 20 minutes, we started talking about me taking over the place,” Eckert said.
There was no doubt that Eckert had the drive to take over the business — he took machining classes at night while doing maintenance work with Nucor Vulcraft Group in Norfolk.
The only issue was he was a little light in the pocket book. Pinnacle Bank offered a loan, but that still left about a third of the business’ purchase price unfunded.
It looked bleak for the prospective owner. But, as the adage goes, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
More specifically, there’s a gap financing program for businesses looking for that extra capital. Eckert got connected with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Intermediary Relending Program, which provided the missing third of the purchase price. The funding mechanism is capitalized through Platte County Community Development Block Grant funds.
Representatives from USDA Rural Development and Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District joined Mayor Mike Moser Tuesday in bestowing Mohrmann Tool Inc.’s owner an award for his use of the loan program.
Eckert showed off a few examples of machine parts produced at Mohrmann Tool Inc., as well as work produced at the partner business his brother Eli Eckert started last summer, Eckert Fabrication LLC.
The neighboring business had some examples from a new profile roller — a machine used to bend metal beams that’s currently making arches for Valmont Industries. Eli Eckert said companies have been exporting work like this to neighboring states.
Joe Eckert said he came in expecting the transition to be a lot of hard work, but it’s been even more trying than that. When he visited initially, he said he was thinking of starting a machining shop much smaller than the one he owns now.
Joe Eckert leads a four-person staff at the 4,000-square-foot facility at 2256 E. 11th St. Regular local customers include Valmont Industries, Lindsay Manufacturing and United Traveler. Appleton EGS also called on some of Mohrmann Tool’s services while they were operating.
The site contains about a dozen distinct machines, but not all of them worked before Joe Eckert took over. Jon Cole, a machinist with Mohrmann Tool, said one of the business’ most crucial milling machines had remained dormant in disrepair until Joe Eckert stepped in and fixed it on his own.
Since his transition as owner, Cole said, Joe Eckert has made sure the whole shop is running at peak performance by continuing to address problems that have been overlooked and keeping an efficient work environment.
“I’ll tell you one thing: He sure is picking things up quick,” Cole said, yelling the words over the active machining shop. “He’ll do well here.”
Eleven Platte County businesses, including Mohrmann Tool Inc., utilized the gap financing program between 2010 and 2012.
More than $400,000 was loaned out during that time, affecting 44 jobs.
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