A Component of Success

Posted November 22, 2005
 
 
By Jeff Bollier
of The Northwestern
 
When Randy Liddle and his son, Jeff Liddle, organized Premium Metal and Welding LLC seven months ago, they knew exactly who would staff their new manufacturing company.
 
The Liddle's started with four employees and then doubled in size as orders started to come in more frequently. Drawing on his 30-plus years in manufacturing, Randy Liddle drew workers from De Pere to Rosendale to the new company's offices and shop at 3341 County Trunk A in Oshkosh. But the full and part-time workforce rapidly doubled again as Jeff Liddle began taking more orders for the fledgling producer of component parts for other manufacturers and retailers.
 
"The key to manufacturing is surrounding yourself with people that know what needs to be done," Randy Liddle said. "I knew there was potential in the business, but right now we're exceeding where even we thought we'd be. Right now, we just have to decide how much we want to grow in the next year."
 
Father and son take great care not to reveal exactly who they manufacture components for, but they're varied and get used by companies in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota now.
 
"Some of the end users of our products are national, big name chains," Randy Liddle said. "And so far, we've been able to fulfill requests for all the orders we've received."
 
Despite their estimates that 90 to 95 percent of their business comes from outside Northeast Wisconsin, Jeff Liddle

 

Premium Metal and Welding Employee Jeff Wilderman removes a finished overhead signage frame from the rack on Monday. The company, which opened in March, employs 16 full-time and part-time workers.

Northwestern Photo by Shu-Ling Zhou
 
  Name: Randy Liddle
 
  Age: 53
  Title: Managing Member of Premium
  Metal and Welding
  From: Oshkosh
  Family: Wife, Susan
  Job history: 30-plus years in manufacturing
  with 22 years at Pluswood Manufacturing
  Interests: stock car races, hunting, fishing,
  spending time with family
 
  Name: Jeff Liddle
 
  Age: 28
  Title: Client Development Manager,
  Premium Metal and Welding
  From: Oshkosh
  Family: Wife, Erica and dog, Bailey
  Education: 2000 graduate of St. Norbert
  College
  Interests: Football, Summer Sports,
  Volunteering at Big Brothers Big Sisters of
  Oshkosh and youth group leader at St.
  Josaphat Catholic Church

 
said organizations such as Chamco Inc., the city's industrial development arm, and the general manufacturing community here have played important roles in the company's short history. Chamco specifically helped them secure debt and equity financing to get started in March.
 
"Businesses in the Oshkosh community are very loyal to it, so they try to do a lot to help you out," Jeff Liddle said. "Chamco helped us re-evaluate and fine-tune our business plan. They talked to us about where we wanted to take the business and connected us with the financing offer that was best for us."
 
Chamco Executive Director Doug Pearson said his entire staff is "very proud of what we've done to help Premium Metal and Welding" and that he was glad to see "it has grown to be very successful and exceeded all projections for growth and development."
 
Randy Liddle said the metal fabrication and component manufacturing business has ramped up recently after the economic decline of several years ago pushed many metal fabrication shops to the wayside. He said the price and availability of steel and fuel prices will ultimately determine how fast the company grows.
 
"Manufacturers have a lot of orders for the metal fabrication shops that have survived," he said. "I don't see the economy fading in that respect right now."
 
The company plans to add additional machines and employees over the next 12 months so the company can offer more services to manufacturers and bid on even more types of jobs.
 
"We try to make it a one-stop shop for the customers," Jeff Liddle said.
 
Jeff Bollier: (920) 426-6688 or jbollier@thenorthwestern.com

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