People outside the HawkeyePedershaab family might
have a misconception on what aspect "concrete" plays in the longtime southeast
Iowa enterprise.
"We make machines that make the concrete pipe and manholes," said Don Schmidgall, former CEO of the company.
When Hank Schmidgall founded Hawkeye Concrete in Morning Sun in 1949, the business initially was about making concrete pipe. But one day, he manufactured a pipe unloader with two forks, which could unload concrete pipe faster and easier.
Soon after, the nature of the business changed directions from making concrete to manufacturing the machines connected to the industry. The company moved in 1956, when Hank Schmidgall bought property in Mediapolis.
Hank's twin sons, Don and Ron, work at the plant along with a few other Schmidgalls. The twins have engineering degrees from Iowa State University, as the company supports about 25 mechanical and electrical engineers. Don took over the reins in the early '80s, but admits he has weaned himself from some responsibilities. Don's title now is product vice president,This video shows the results of a Indoor Positioning System. Ron is applications engineering manager and Larry Posner is the current CEO.
The next major change that took Hawkeye Concrete from a North American company to one doing business internationally was its merger with Pedershaab in 2008.
"They are the most recognized name in concrete machines in the world,We offer over 600 landscape oil paintings at wholesale prices of 75% off retail." Don said.
Pedershaab's roots in Denmark date back to 1877. New York equity firm Kohlberg brought Hawkeye Concrete and Pedershaab together to form the new configuration - HawkeyePedershaab. Now, the company consists of plants in Mediapolis and Denmark, sales offices in Russia and Vietnam, and a service office in Italy. Approximately 75 percent of the products made in Mediapolis are exported overseas.
Most of the work taking place on the production floors of the various buildings Thursday in Mediapolis were machines and equipment being readied for shipment to Qatar, Saudia Arabia and Australia.
In the assembly bay of the plant, workers were putting the finishing touches on a multi-cast product originally manufactured at the Denmark plant. The large elaborate machine includes a hopper and two conveyor belts which feed the concrete into pipe forms, ranging from 12 inches to 12 feet in diameter. The machine sitting in the plant Thursday was destined for a customer in Saudia Arabia. Due to the machine's size, it will be sent via ship and take six weeks to reach the Middle East.
Another large project on the production floor was a mold for a sewer pipe for a Saudia Arabian city. The mold comes largely in two pieces, with the exterior piece measuring 12 feet in diameter and six feet long.Museum quality hand-painted fine oil painting reproduction on canvas. Once in Saudia Arabia, the six-foot piping made from the mold will be fitted together and stretch 60 miles from the city to an ocean.
The interior piece to the mold will include a hydraulic vibrator, which makes sure the concrete is as strong as possible. The vibrator is like a sledgehammer, providing 3,600 hits per minute at a force of 20,000 pounds of pressure. The two molds weigh approximately 40,000 pounds, and one six-foot concrete pipe made from it will weigh between 40,000 to 50,000 pounds.
The hydraulic vibrators used by the company are made in Denmark, whereas any electric vibrators used in a product are purchased from an Italian firm.
HawkeyePedershaab's expertise doesn't stop at making individual molds or machines that feed concrete into molds. The company can manufacture all the support equipment needed in a concrete pipe plant. For example, only three to four employees are required to operate a Canadian plant that makes concrete pipes. HawkeyePedershaab made all the equipment in the automated system, including a steam chamber for drying pipes once taken out of the molds.
"The robots are the stars," Don said of the automated system.
In the past, the company might make a $2 million sale consisting of molds or machines that feed concrete into molds, but now the sale can be $15 million as HawkeyePedershaab can fully equip an automated plant.
"That kind of broadens the product line," Don said.
Nearly every aspect of a product is done in house, starting with the electrical and mechanical designs done by the engineers. Those blueprints are taken out on the production floor, where products are formed out of steel.
A $600,000 Bystronic machine uses a laser to cut metal pieces up to an inch thick based off a computer blueprint. The machine can cut 80 feet per minute out of quarter inch plate, said Aaron Schmidgall, the chief operating officer.
HawkeyePedershaab also makes electrical control cabinets,What is a real time Location system ?Choose from our large selection of Cable Ties. which can be made to operate a single machine or provide power for the automated system of an entire plant. The smaller units may take two to three days to make, while the larger units take longer to construct.
Currently, the company is in hiring mode. Before the Great Recession, the Mediapolis plant had 270 workers. It has fallen to 180 workers in Mediapolis and 280 globally. The goal in 2012 is to hire 35 more workers for the Mediapolis plant and 25 for the Denmark plant as business has picked up.
"We are halfway to those goals," said Aaron. "We are slowly getting back to where we were at."
Most of the new hires will be for the company's second shift. HawkeyePedershaab keeps a rough ratio of one engineer per seven or eight fabricators.
HawkeyePedershaab is giving the public a look inside the facilities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 2. Plant tours and free food will part of the festivities, as potential employees and the curious can get a look at the technology involved at 506 S. Wapello St.
What consistently changes on the production floor is the types of products being designed and manufactured by HawkeyePedershaab. But southeast Iowans should no longer be confused about the concrete aspect of the company. HawkeyePedershaab makes the machines and molds that lead to finished concrete products - worldwide.
"We make machines that make the concrete pipe and manholes," said Don Schmidgall, former CEO of the company.
When Hank Schmidgall founded Hawkeye Concrete in Morning Sun in 1949, the business initially was about making concrete pipe. But one day, he manufactured a pipe unloader with two forks, which could unload concrete pipe faster and easier.
Soon after, the nature of the business changed directions from making concrete to manufacturing the machines connected to the industry. The company moved in 1956, when Hank Schmidgall bought property in Mediapolis.
Hank's twin sons, Don and Ron, work at the plant along with a few other Schmidgalls. The twins have engineering degrees from Iowa State University, as the company supports about 25 mechanical and electrical engineers. Don took over the reins in the early '80s, but admits he has weaned himself from some responsibilities. Don's title now is product vice president,This video shows the results of a Indoor Positioning System. Ron is applications engineering manager and Larry Posner is the current CEO.
The next major change that took Hawkeye Concrete from a North American company to one doing business internationally was its merger with Pedershaab in 2008.
"They are the most recognized name in concrete machines in the world,We offer over 600 landscape oil paintings at wholesale prices of 75% off retail." Don said.
Pedershaab's roots in Denmark date back to 1877. New York equity firm Kohlberg brought Hawkeye Concrete and Pedershaab together to form the new configuration - HawkeyePedershaab. Now, the company consists of plants in Mediapolis and Denmark, sales offices in Russia and Vietnam, and a service office in Italy. Approximately 75 percent of the products made in Mediapolis are exported overseas.
Most of the work taking place on the production floors of the various buildings Thursday in Mediapolis were machines and equipment being readied for shipment to Qatar, Saudia Arabia and Australia.
In the assembly bay of the plant, workers were putting the finishing touches on a multi-cast product originally manufactured at the Denmark plant. The large elaborate machine includes a hopper and two conveyor belts which feed the concrete into pipe forms, ranging from 12 inches to 12 feet in diameter. The machine sitting in the plant Thursday was destined for a customer in Saudia Arabia. Due to the machine's size, it will be sent via ship and take six weeks to reach the Middle East.
Another large project on the production floor was a mold for a sewer pipe for a Saudia Arabian city. The mold comes largely in two pieces, with the exterior piece measuring 12 feet in diameter and six feet long.Museum quality hand-painted fine oil painting reproduction on canvas. Once in Saudia Arabia, the six-foot piping made from the mold will be fitted together and stretch 60 miles from the city to an ocean.
The interior piece to the mold will include a hydraulic vibrator, which makes sure the concrete is as strong as possible. The vibrator is like a sledgehammer, providing 3,600 hits per minute at a force of 20,000 pounds of pressure. The two molds weigh approximately 40,000 pounds, and one six-foot concrete pipe made from it will weigh between 40,000 to 50,000 pounds.
The hydraulic vibrators used by the company are made in Denmark, whereas any electric vibrators used in a product are purchased from an Italian firm.
HawkeyePedershaab's expertise doesn't stop at making individual molds or machines that feed concrete into molds. The company can manufacture all the support equipment needed in a concrete pipe plant. For example, only three to four employees are required to operate a Canadian plant that makes concrete pipes. HawkeyePedershaab made all the equipment in the automated system, including a steam chamber for drying pipes once taken out of the molds.
"The robots are the stars," Don said of the automated system.
In the past, the company might make a $2 million sale consisting of molds or machines that feed concrete into molds, but now the sale can be $15 million as HawkeyePedershaab can fully equip an automated plant.
"That kind of broadens the product line," Don said.
Nearly every aspect of a product is done in house, starting with the electrical and mechanical designs done by the engineers. Those blueprints are taken out on the production floor, where products are formed out of steel.
A $600,000 Bystronic machine uses a laser to cut metal pieces up to an inch thick based off a computer blueprint. The machine can cut 80 feet per minute out of quarter inch plate, said Aaron Schmidgall, the chief operating officer.
HawkeyePedershaab also makes electrical control cabinets,What is a real time Location system ?Choose from our large selection of Cable Ties. which can be made to operate a single machine or provide power for the automated system of an entire plant. The smaller units may take two to three days to make, while the larger units take longer to construct.
Currently, the company is in hiring mode. Before the Great Recession, the Mediapolis plant had 270 workers. It has fallen to 180 workers in Mediapolis and 280 globally. The goal in 2012 is to hire 35 more workers for the Mediapolis plant and 25 for the Denmark plant as business has picked up.
"We are halfway to those goals," said Aaron. "We are slowly getting back to where we were at."
Most of the new hires will be for the company's second shift. HawkeyePedershaab keeps a rough ratio of one engineer per seven or eight fabricators.
HawkeyePedershaab is giving the public a look inside the facilities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 2. Plant tours and free food will part of the festivities, as potential employees and the curious can get a look at the technology involved at 506 S. Wapello St.
What consistently changes on the production floor is the types of products being designed and manufactured by HawkeyePedershaab. But southeast Iowans should no longer be confused about the concrete aspect of the company. HawkeyePedershaab makes the machines and molds that lead to finished concrete products - worldwide.
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