Holdrege, NE

Practice Area:
People Systems - Recruitment & Selection Company Profile:
Allmand Brothers of Holdrege, Nebraska is well known worldwide for the manufacturing of quality construction equipment. including compact backhoes, concrete breakers, portable heating systems, portable lighting systems, portable light stands and solar message and arrow boards. This 62-year-old family business started in l938 when brothers Walt and Les Allmand invented and manufactured the first electric portable farm welder revolutionizing the industry. The brothers' entrepreneurial spirit continued with the creation of other successful innovative products over the next 13 years. In l951 the U. S. Navy commissioned them to build a permanent magnet brushless generator for use throughout its commands. Other innovative Allmand Brothers products followed and in l954 they developed one of the first portable floodlight systems. This system was further refined by the Allmands in l968 and l972 when the first parallel lamp fixture and the Maxi-Lite portable light tower were introduced for use within the construction industry. Expansion of product lines continued when Allmand Brothers bought the Bemis product line of diesel arrow boards in l981. In l985 Allmand's Night-Lite portable light tower was introduced into rental facilities throughout North America. Through the nineties Allmand Brothers benefited from a renewed push for quality road systems throughout the United States. The company introduced a succession of equipment, including the Eclipse solar arrowboard in 1990, the contractor compact loader backhoe in 1995, and the "industry exclusive SHO lighting system" of Maxi- Lite and Night-Lite portable light towers in 1996. In 1997, Allmand's outstanding products and services were recognized with a "Reader's Choice" award from a major industry publication. The company further diversified in 1998 when it acquired product assets of Portable Power and Light, a manufacturer of portable light stands. In 1999, Allmand acquired portable concrete breakers to add to their line.

Situation:
Allmand is located in Holdrege, Nebraska, a rural community with a population of 6000. It is a challenge to attract a staff of highly-skilled professionals the company needs to maintain its respected place in the marketplace. Especially in the tight job market, finding and keeping good people is even more difficult. The company has grown rapidly in sales in the past few years not only in the U.S.and Canada, but internationally including western Europe, Latin America, Africa, South America and Asia. Increased sales and product support requires a qualified engineering staff and Allmand was faced with a shortage of people. Allmand had previously used traditional ways to locate employees in the past. However with more professional positions to fill the company decided to "go global" in this search.

Solution:
Allmand had used the services of the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership(NMEP) before and contacted them again for assistance. NMEP recommended posting the open positions on various Internet web sites, sites known by professionals looking for new employment opportunities. The company agreed and position openings were posted on Headhunter, Yahoo, Deja News, UNI, Engineering Central and America/Nebraska Job Bank. NMEP posted the positions for a set-up fee and then acted as a buffer between Allmand and all the direct inquires. Twenty seven inquiries were received and were then forwarded to Allmand for review and contacting any likely fits for their positions.

Results:
The Internet job postings began in May, l998. By the end of July, Allmand received over 27 resumes and applications from the United State, Canada, Romania and Puerto Rico. The first person hired was from Indiana. He had ties to central Nebraska and was going to be in the state so an interview was arranged. He learned of the position on America/Nebraska Job Bank and was recruited back to his home state of Nebraska. The second hire also used America/Nebraska Job Bank. He was in school at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. An interview was scheduled and he was hired upon his graduation from UNL. Both of these people are on the job today at Allmand. Now two years later, Allmand has begun work on a new 30,000-square-foot addition to its existing facility. This expansion will add 24 new full-time jobs at the plant. Based on past success on NMEP's recommendation for using the Internet, the company may again be looking for help on the information highway.

Testimonial:
This is a team that makes it happen. These managers, with the leadership of Roger Goff, chief operating officer, provide the energy and drive that has created our recent success. We were very pleased with the efforts of NMEP in assisting in locating these employees. They, as well as all the employees have been crucial in the success and expansion of Allmand.