Allmand Bros. Rebounds With New Product, Diversification

Tough times in the oil industry have forced Allmand Bros. leaders to rethink their operations, diversify and get creative. The local manufacturing company is now gearing up for increased sales this winter and is scrambling to hire workers to keep up with demand.

“Right now, I can’t get enough people in,” said Andrea Malleck, Human Resource Manager at Allmand Bros. “I’m begging for workers.”

The oil industry slump occurred shortly after Alllmand Bros. sold to the Briggs & Stratton Corporation two years ago. It caused the local manufacturing plant to make hard financial decisions that led to a more than 50 percent reduction in the workforce.

Allmand and Briggs and Stratton leaders now have a strategic plan to diversify products and rebuild the workforce at the local plant. PCDC has partnered with Allmand Bros. and provided assistance to enable the company to add equipment and expand the facility.

Malleck, who began her career at the company in June, and she has high hopes for a bright future again for Allmand Bros.

Malleck said the plant managers learned quickly just how dependent they were on the oil industry and are now diversifying into the rental and construction market and are on the brink of expanding sales in the international market.

Briggs & Stratton has designated the Allmand Bros. manufacturing plant as the main producer of products needed for job sites, such as light towers, portable heaters and generators and air compressors.

“Everything that you need at the job site, that’s what we produce,” Malleck said. “That’s the vision for this branch of Briggs & Stratton.”

The local plant is now producing a new rental grade light tower, the NL 5000, and sales are growing quickly. In fact, the sales are so good that Malleck has hired eight employees in the past two weeks and is still seeking more employees.

Allmand Bros. is using the Flex Force model of hiring for some of its production employees in an attempt to avoid potential work force reductions again. Briggs & Stratton uses Flex Force (temporary) employees at some of its other plants.

“Just because the market can be up and down, the Flex Force model works well for us,” Malleck said.

Malleck explained that some Flex Force employees may become permanent, but Allmand Bros. does not want to make a worker permanent until the company has sustained consistent sales and demand. Currently, Malleck said there are 54 permanent employees in the production area plus 24 temporary employees.

Malleck said the company is currently seeking more assemblers as they scramble to keep up with demand for the light tower and increased heater sales as winter nears.

Allmand also is currently seeking a few more staff members at the professional level, including a financial analyst and a production manager.

She said the company offers great benefits, such as health insurance with dental and vision, a 401K and a great work-life balance.

“It’s a pretty awesome place to work in Holdrege,” Malleck said.

To learn more about careers at Allmand Bros., visit www.basco.com/career-center, apply with Essential Personnel in Kearney for temporary positions or contact Malleck at Allmand Bros. at (308) 995-4495.