Plymouth Manufacturing, Inc., which started up in 1973 in Plymouth, Neb. (pop. 455) was the kind of company that small communities hope to attract. The company manufactured fabricated agriculture equipment, including feeding equipment, corrals, and gates.

But everything changed in 1979, when Dennis Molzer, company co-founder, died, and left his wife and co-founding partner, Pat, to run the company herself. In 1980, she sold the company to a group of local investors who were connected to the Hoover Materials Handling Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Hoover Group Inc. Industries LLC.

Wanting to continue the company’s successful operations and product lines, the investors expanded into a larger 40,000-sq.-ft. facility and renamed the company Plymouth Industries LLC. The expansion resulted in the creation of 20 full-time jobs.

To assist them with the endeavor, village officials were awarded a $485,268 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), $355,000 of which was applied toward the building’s purchase price, and $123,268 that was used to help pave a street leading to the facility. Street improvements were necessary to accommodate the anticipated heavy truck traffic to and from the plant. The village of Plymouth and Jefferson County helped finance the street improvements that also have benefited the nearby Farmer’s Cooperative.

On repayment of the $355,000 CDBG loan, the village created a reuse fund to keep money in the community and available to assist with other economic development projects, including providing loan assistance to Plymouth’s newest business.

Plymouth has benefited from job creation, increased revenues and use of a building that previously stood vacant. In turn, employees from Plymouth Industries shop and eat in the village and contribute to the overall welfare of the community.

“ Keeping a business open and viable is very important for small communities,” said City Clerk Deb Milius. “Plymouth is fortunate to have Plymouth Industries LLC located here.”