Local businesses have been named as some of 2014's Michigan Companies to Watch, and for good reason. They are true "movers and shakers."
Fullerton Tool Co. is not a young business--in fact, it's been a family-owned Saginaw manufacturer since 1942.
But lately,
Fullerton Tool Company has been making noise. Enough racket to be heard. Heard among the
2014 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. It's an award distributed annually by Michigan Celebrates Small Business, based in Grand Rapids. To receive it, companies must show recent growth and innovation.
Fullerton Tool Company develops and sells more than 14,000 solid carbide cutting tools and items, including drills, saws and other instruments various industries use to create and refine the parts they use to produce their own products. The automotive industries as well as aerospace, medical, and heavy equipment manufacturers are just a few that rely on Fullerton Tool Company.
"Our revenue," says the company's president and co-owner, Patrick H. Curry, "has more than doubled since 2009. In my opinion, it's because of the recession that really hurt us in 2007 and 2008. It hurt everyone. No one was buying anything, especially cars."
"But in 2009, when it started to lift, business got a lot better."
Indeed. And along with the welcome, increased demand came necessary changes in company culture.
"We needed to grow to be able to compete in an increasingly competitive global manufacturing market, so some things had to change. I like to be on the cutting edge of growth, success and cost-cutting and, of course, customer service."
Stepping up--and investing in--the innovation, education, and technology that triggered a more solid consistency and strategic vision has paid off handsomely, but staying ahead of the pack took leaps of faith and didn't happen sans growing pains.
The crucial refinement of his staff's talent and ownership-type pride meant getting only the best talent on board--and there's only enough room for so many employees, even in a growing company.
Still, Fullerton Tool Company's roster of 108 employees at the end of 2008 has swelled to 150. Curry feels strongly about giving back to the community as well.
"We give plant tours now, we bring in university interns and make job-shadowing opportunities available whenever it's possible, "Curry says. "All of these efforts are designed to help people stay interested in manufacturing. And that's very important."
Fullerton Tool Company
121 Perry St
Saginaw, MI 48602
There are several ways to reach Fullerton Tool Company for more details:
Call toll-free at (800) 248-8315 or locally at (989) 799-4550
Visit Fullerton Tool Company on the web.
Follow Fullerton Tool Company at the these social media accounts:
YouTube
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter: @FullertonTool
Candace Larkin owns and operates
EZ Pro Delivery, a unique Saginaw courier service that transports blood, emergency medical supplies, lab specimens, dry ice and more to hospitals, labs, clinics, and medical office clients all over Michigan and the U.S.
"In 13 short years, our growth has been phenomenal," Larkin says. "I started out with three employees; now, 35 people work here." She operates today with a fleet of vehicles driven by a trained staff with HAZMAT certifications among many others.
"Everyone is fully trained and certified to handle, package and ship infectious materials and dry ice," Larkin says.
She also manufactures that dry ice on site and sells it to companies to use for medical storage and shipping, the transportation of foods, and even fog for events.
"Our drivers hit the road within 20 minutes of an order," Larkin says. "I'm proud of the great services we offer."
EZ Pro Delivery
300 Ames Street, Saginaw, MI 48602
Call (989) 497-9210 or email them here.
For more details on service and pricing, visit the web site.
Chips are chips. You scoop them in dip or you munch them straight from the bag. There's not much difference from one chip to the next … right?
Wrong, wrong, wrong, says Ed Girrbach, who, alongside son Chris Girrbach, is co-owner and co-founder of
Great Lakes Potato Chip Company in Traverse City.
In only their fifth production year, the senior Girrbach is proud to report that choosy chip connoisseurs can now buy their brand in three sizes at more than 1,000 Michigan stores and also in other states, including Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. Anyone can order them online by the case.
"We leave on the skins, and that makes a big difference," says Girrbach, of the company's kettle-cooked flavors--original, sea salt and vinegar, barbecue, and the spiciest of all, sea salt pepper and onion. "We believe that the skins add some nutrients and a lot of flavor. The skin of a good potato just makes the chips taste better."
Another palatable difference, Girrbach, says, between Great Lakes Potato Chips and some others, is quality ingredients--both the locally grown potatoes his chips are made from and the high-grade oils that turn them from root vegetables into light, crunchy snacks.
"To get a great-tasting product, we start with very good Michigan potatoes," he says. "We get them from one farmer." According to Girrbach, that Mecosta County grower uses more than 6,000 acres of land to plant, grow and harvest the potatoes they sell to his facility, among others.
That careful selection is followed by a cooking process using sunflower and canola oils rather than the various, less expensive choices of oils available--and that means a cholesterol-free snack with no trans fats.
The selective assortment of ingredients and careful cooking processes has paid off for his young company. Sales, Girrbach says, have doubled each year since production began.
"There's always a demand for what people like to eat," he says. "We're happy about the growth and very thankful for it. And we're never leaving Traverse City. Our headquarters, no matter how big the company gets, will always be here."
"I love it here--there's no place on earth I'd rather be than in Traverse City, Michigan."
Great Lakes Potato Chip Company
6806 E. Traverse Hwy
Traverse City, MI, 49684
To learn more about the company, its products and its distributors:
Call (231) 421-8040 or drop them an email.
Visit its web site.
Fnd the Great Lakes Potato Chip Company on Facebook.
Jeff Barr is a freelance writer who has lived in Michigan for 46 years. You can e-mail Jeff at jbarr88@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @JeffBarr88