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September
2004 Client of the Month
Jamie Wegner 
& Nick Wegner
New Hampton Metal Fabrication
New Hampton, IA
Many children
grow up working in and around their family business. But few have
the opportunity to expand a third-generation business and help
shape its future. Jamie and Nick Wegner have been fortunate to
have this opportunity. The Wegner brothers grew up working at
New Hampton Metal Fabrication, originally started in 1945 by their
grandfather, John, as Wegner Welding. In 1970, the business was
bought by Gary Wegner, father of Jamie and Nick. Gary opened New
Hampton Metal Fabrication in 1989 and incorporated it in 1994.
New Hampton Metal Fabrication manufactures form equipment for
the pre-cast concrete pipe and product industry. It is also a
"full service company in sales, technical assistance, installation
and inventory stock." The Wegners are currently in the process
of expanding the business by 20,000 square feet and adding 25
employees, a project with an estimated investment of $1.75 million
to be implemented over the next two years. When they had fully
considered the potential of this large expansion project, they
decided to utilize the services offered by the UNI Regional Business
Center-SBDC's MyEntrenet program. MyEntrenet provides advanced
training to entrepreneurs in rural regions while connecting them
to resources online using a customized web application.
The Wegners heard of MyEntrenet from a group of business peers
that had completed the program the year before. The positive feedback
about the classes encouraged the Wegners to enroll. They thought
the MyEntrenet program would be a great educational tool to help
them organize their thoughts and determine what steps to take
to expand the business. After completing the classes, the Wegners
felt the most helpful resource was the relationship developed
between New Hampton Metal Fabrication, the UNI RBC-SBDC and the
local program sponsor, New Hampton Economic Development. This
relationship allowed the brothers to see that other business owners
have similar goals, yet offer different perspectives on effective
business operation. Nick Wegner also added, "No matter if
you are young or old, this class will give you the opportunity
to meet new people and expand your resources to help better your
business."
New Hampton Metal Fabrication's slogan says it all-"Shaping
the Future of Concrete." The owners feel that being a successful
manufacturer in a niche market along with backing up a superior
product with great customer service will continue to aid in their
accomplishments. The greatest reward for the Wegners is hearing
from customers and other industry members that New Hampton Metal
Fabrication is the best in the industry. According to Nick, the
greatest challenge has been, "keeping up with industry demands…giving
our customers something new that will make their job easier and
safe." The Wegners have overcome this challenge with well-organized
thoughts and goals.
The advice Jamie and Nick offer to other entrepreneurs is to be
educated, aware, and bold. The entrepreneur must be educated in
order to make the best decisions possible, aware of how their
decisions will affect the business, and bold enough to "take
the chance to succeed or fail."
You can keep up-to-date with New Hampton Metal Fabrication's expansion
and learn more about the Wegners by visiting their website at
www.newhamptonmetalfab.com.
Jamie Wegner & Nick Wegner
New Hampton Metal Fabrication
P.O. Box 332
Highway 18 West
New Hampton, IA 50659
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