 |  |
 |
|
|
Military Contract Fuels Lewistown Plant
Great Falls TribuneBy Kim Skornogoski Tribune Staff Writer A Lewistown-area manufacturing company is building a new manufacturing plant outside of town after recently signing a $2.9 million contract to build platforms for the Department of Defense. Spika Welding and Manufacturing Inc.'s new $800,000 building will more than triple the current production space to 10,000 square feet. Company President Tom Spika will go before the Lewistown City-County Planning Board Thursday to seek final approval for the subdivision. He hopes to clear all the procedural hurdles and begin construction in early October, so the building will be ready by the end of the year. The new plant also will have 2,500 square feet for corporate offices. The plant is designed for expansion — something Spika expects will happen as pending projects fall into place. The National Guard contract calls for Spika Welding and Manufacturing Inc. to build 30 maintenance stands that are designed to surround Apache, Chinook and Blackhawk helicopters, making it safe for people to work on the aircraft. Not bad for a former sheep rancher and farmer whose first business was welding birdcages. "We're quite excited about it," said company President Tom Spika said. "I think it's going to be real good for our company and even more so, good for the community of Lewistown." Spika is waiting to hear from the Army on building similar contraptions for it, too — a contract worth $20 million over the next five years. Last year, he got an early look at the developing the Air Force's new jet fighter, the F-22 Raptor, so he could propose a maintenance system for that aircraft as well. The company researched the current platforms being used and tweaked their design to make them stronger, more durable and safer. The Spika ramps are adjustable to fit different sizes of helicopters, but are safer because they use compressed air to lock the platforms into place. The improvements are good selling points to pitch to other private aviation companies. "I think it's definitely going to add jobs — there's no question about that," said Snowy Mountain Development Business Development Director Bob Giese. "In a small area, it's a fantastic impact." Spika credits his small-town business approach — delivering customer service and a quality product— for his success. He and his wife, Carol, first took over the family farm and ranch near Kolin, about 25 miles west of Lewistown. However, years of drought, poor markets and hailstorms led Spika to rely on his degree in metals technology from Northern Montana College in Havre. After 10 years as a welder and production manager at HRC Inc. in Lewistown, Spika broke out on his own and started Montana Aviary Co. in 1999. Welding ornate and intricate bird cages gave him an outlet to flex his creative muscles, but it wasn't the most profitable business. Instead of closing down, he took out a loan and began building a new shop. Meanwhile, Precision Lift Inc., near Monarch, was looking for a manufacturer for welded-aluminum baskets that are suspended on cables beneath helicopters to transport equipment to emergency locations such as forest fires. "That opened a lot of opportunities for us," Spika said. "When that company went its own way, we were fairly prepared to fly on our own." By then, the company had developed several of its own industrial products, including firefighting modules, polypropylene tanks, decontamination systems and portable wash-and-reclaim systems. One of the company's creations is a system used to wash fire trucks to prevent them from spreading noxious weeds. The same equipment can be used by any other vehicles that enter the wilderness, such as those utilized for mining coal or natural gas. That product evolved into equipment used to wash dangerous pathogens from boats and other watercraft to prevent them from contaminating bodies of water. There may not be much of a market for the machines in Montana, but sales in coastal states and places such as Michigan and Wisconsin show the products' potential. "We've established ourselves as a credible source and a leader in the technology of how to do this in a responsible manner," Spika said. As if that wasn't enough irons in the fire, the company is working with TechLink out of Bozeman to commercially manufacture carts that safely hold oxygen and setaline welding tanks. The tanks can be found in nearly every airport in the country, along with Bureau of Land Management and private maintenance offices. The tanks are a hazard the way they commonly contained, Spika said, because valves can get chipped, gas can explode and people can get burned. They're even a tripping hazard. The carts were developed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to improve safety and Spika Welding and Manufacturing recently landed the license to mass produce it. The company made its own improvements, which were then approved, and is now ready to roll on production of its first six carts. Spika said 60 customers already have sought out the product without any marketing. "The more I look at it, we're not looking at hundreds of these, we're talking thousands," he said. "I think this really has some potential." Spika's also proud to say he's been able to provide jobs for people who wanted to return to Lewistown. Along with designers, marketers and managers, 16 people will be welding the platforms and other products. The company has hired skilled area workers and trained them to specialize in needed areas. Giese said even a few added jobs benefit all of Central Montana, where several manufacturers looking for employees are helping to drive up wages. Even if all of Spika's plans don't come to fruition, a $2.9 million military contract will turn over many times. "My goodness, that could have a 15- to 18-million dollar impact on our community," Giese said. "That's huge." The company will continue to operate the original facility on Spika's Kolin-area farm. Moving the new facility closer to Lewistown was important both to save employees a 25-minute daily commute and to make it easier for the semi-trucks transporting their products. "It's just neat being a part of a business that you feel good about growing," Spika said. "I think it's definitely sustainable and it's a home-grown business. It's got roots in this community. It's going to stay here and it's going to offer people a way to stay here." Contacts
|
| © 2004-2006 TechLink |
|
|