Oertel Metal Works in northern Davenport is “bursting at the seams” with growth, and will eventually be looking to move to a newer, bigger business home.
That’s the word from Brian Krzyaniak, the president of Oertel, a metal fabrication company located at 9104 N. Zenith Ave., and part of the McCarty-Bush Corp. family of companies.
Oertel currently spreads out over three buildings at its current business home, located not too far from Blain’s Farm & Fleet on Northwest Boulevard. Also, it has leased space in downtown Davenport that is providing a short-term solution to dealing with its growth.
But, the long-term solution to Oertel’s growth is for the company to move to a new home. The search process has begun and the goal is to make that move within the next five years, Mr. Krzyaniak said during a recent interview with the QCBJ.
The search process is still in the early stages, but company leaders hope to move to an area that is big enough to accommodate all of its work, supplies and products, and to remain somewhere in the Iowa Quad Cities.
“We have no intentions of getting out of Iowa with any of our businesses,” said Ben Bush, director of sales and business development with McCarthy-Bush.
Mr. Krzyaniak added that he also sees the new location as being near Interstate 80 to help with the company’s shipping and supply receiving needs.
“We’re just out of room here. …we’re bursting at the seams,” said Mr. Krzyaniak, adding that space is so tight that even finding enough employee parking spaces is getting to be a tough job. (In fact, one of the small perks being offered to reward top employees is giving them premium parking. A couple spaces at Oertel are marked with signs including this one: “Reserved parking for metal master of the month.”)
Oertel’s growth and solid work were recently honored by the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. During that group’s annual meeting last month, Oertel was honored as the chamber’s “Business of the Year.”
“We’ve seen a lot of change over the last 24 months. Our team has grown and persevered in a way I’m proud of every day and I credit this incredible recognition to each of them,” Mr. Kzryaniak said after receiving the award.
“Rapid growth brings its own set of challenges, and this award is not just a recognition of our success but a moment to celebrate and reflect on what we’ve achieved together. It’s a well-earned honor that highlights the resilience and commitment of our entire team,” he added.
Mr. Krzyaniak said the company’s metal masters have been helping the company team grow in every way – more business, more sales, making more products and hiring more employees. The company currently has about 77 workers and is looking for more. He expects Oertel to employ 100 or more workers by the end of next year.
He added that a big part of Oertel’s continued success is the quality and expertise of its employees. Those employees have the skills needed to get a vast number of jobs done in a short amount of time.
Mr. Krzyaniak offered this recent example of their work: A vital piece of machinery broke at the Nestle Purina plant in Davenport. The machinery problem was so serious that production at the plant was shut down. Oertel employees were asked to solve the problem and had the machinery fixed in under four hours.
The company’s reputation of getting work done fast and accurately is one of the key reasons for Oertel’s growth in the past two years, and its predictions of more growth in the coming years.
During a tour of Oertel’s facility in north Davenport, many employees told the QCBJ they enjoy working for the company.
For instance, Pat Brenner of Alexis, Illinois, has worked at Oertel for about seven years. His commute to work is about an hour each way, but he said it’s worth it to work for a company that he believes in. “I enjoy the work here. I enjoy the atmosphere with the other employees,” he said.
Other employees agreed.
“It’s like a family here. … We’re not just a bunch of zeros and ones to the company,” said Aaron Marshall, of Davenport, who has worked at the Oertel for about two years.
Joe Granell, of Davenport, has worked for the company for eight years. He said he has been especially pleased to see the company’s growth in those years.
A major reason for that growth, Mr. Krzyaniak said, is the high-quality reputation it has earned with its customers because of its employees. “We may not be the cheapest date in town, but they know (the work) will be done right,” he added.
Here’s a look at the company and its continued growth:
- Oertel does metal fabrication work. One of the company slogans is that it delivers “custom solutions made of metal.” Its products range from very small metal parts to massive-sized machinery.
- Some of the industries Oertel serves include: mining, railcar, food service, recycling, automation, agriculture, material handling and construction.
- The company currently has about 77 employees and likely will have more than 80 employees by year’s end. It expects to be around 100 employees by the end of 2025, said Mr. Krzyaniak.
- The company has experienced a 76% increase in staff and a 50% increase in revenues in the past two years.
- In addition to hiring more employees, the company also is a partner in local school apprenticeship programs and is helping train local high school students in the skilled trades.
- Oertel has invested several million dollars in capital equipment to improve company operations. Some of the additional equipment includes a high definition laser, paint booth and an abrasive blast booth.
- The company recently leased 11,000 square feet of space in a building located near West Second and Howell streets in Davenport. The building houses some of Oertel’s equipment.
- The company began in 1988 as Oertel Sheet Metal, an architectural sheet metal shop. It was purchased by the McCarthy-Bush Corp. in 2000 and steadily began to expand capabilities. Today, Oertel works with many large and local companies such as Nestle Purina, Union Tank Car, Bandag, Kraft Foods, Deere & Co., Howard Steel, Linwood Mining, Koehler Electric, Davenport Electric, and Roemer Machine.
