COMPANY HISTORY
| Mr. William Patterson Founded NECO, Nebraska Engineering Company, in 1959. Mr. Patterson worked part-time as draftsman for a company named SnowCo. SnowCo manufactured portable augers. They had customers that wanted them to make bin-unloading equipment. However they were not interested in manufacturing this product line. Mr. Patterson became aware of this need, and started making bin-unloading equipment in his garage. In 1960, Mr.Vern Nebergall joined rakes with Mr. Patterson. Together they formed what was to become a unique and highly successful management team. Each individual brought specialized skills and talents to the team. Mr. Patterson took charge of product development and manufacturing. Mr.Nebergall was in charge of sales, Marketing and all other administrative functions. The team worked well. Throughout the 1960's and 1970's, the company prospered. Early on in the 1960's, the company moved to the site of its existing location in Omaha, Nebraska. During this period of time, a variety of grain handling products were developed and produced by NECO. The product line included components for bin unloading systems. This included items such as Helecoid augers and hoppers. The company also produced a unique grain-leveling device. Between the years of 1962 and 1966 NECO manufactured and sold thousands of these levelers. Then with the advent of stirring devices, the popularity of the leveler dwindled. In 1968 another highly successful product was introduced. This in bin system would re-circulate the grain in a bin to assist in the drying process. It would be more effective than stirring machines. In addition, this device could remove grain from the bin as soon as it was dry. This effectively created an in bin continuous flow drying system. This product line proved to be a big success. NECO sold over 7000 of these systems between the years of 1968 and 1980. Today, NECO offers five different in bin continuous flow systems. These are the Circu-Flow, Dual Sweep Circu-Flow, Super Flow, Twin Sweep Super Flow and the high capacity Commercial Flow. Several large building expansions took place in 1970's. Today, NECO operates in a 120,000 square foot manufacturing facility. In 1982, Mr. Patterson passed away. His death was a great loss to the company. A second setback occurred in 1983. That was the year the federal government initiated the ill-fated " Payment In Kind" or PIK Program.This acreage set-aside program had a detrimental effect on most agricultural related businesses. In 1984, an inventor brought an idea to NECO for a new grain-stirring machine. Mr. Nebergall liked the design concept.Research indicated that the market was indeed in need of a rugged and more reliable stirring device. NECO went forward with the project. After months of engineering refinement, the idea became a reality. In 1985, NECO introduced the heavy duty Stir-Rite.Since its introduction, the Stir-Rite has proven to be a very popular and dependable stirring device. Thousands of Stir-Rite's have been sold and are in service throughout the world. In 1984, NECO purchased a struggling manufacturing company located in Fremont, Nebraska This company Produced go-carts and three-wheel recreational vehicles. The intent of this acquisition was to establish some semblance of diversification. The timing was poor. It was about this time that product liability insurance rates began to skyrocket. This venture proved to be detrimental and short lived. In 1985, Mr. Nebergall made the decision to sell NECO. In January of 1986, TIC United Corporation located in Dallas, Texas Purchased NECO. Throughout the 1990's, NECO maintained an aggressive posture. The product line has grown significantly keeping pace with market and capacity demands. The basic bin unloading line has been expanded to include 14" augers. the most notable product line additions include the development of a line of round bottom paddle conveyors, fans and heaters and a line of continuous flow grain dryers. In june of 1991, NECO purchased the Renn-Vertec Company, , which was located in Canada. Through this acquisition, NECO obtained the rights to manufacture the line of Vertec portable grain dryers. Since that time, NECO has made numerous significant improvements to the dryers. Each year, NECO spends a significant amount of time and energy on R&D (research and development) projects. In May of 2001, GLOBAL Industries, Inc., Located in Grand Island, Nebraska, Purchased Nebraska Engineering Company.This acquisition will enable NECO to move forward with all of its product development plans. In addition, through the efforts of GLOBAL's International Sales Force, New markets have been opened. On the domestic front, NECO plans to increase its number of warehouse distribution points. The positive evolution of NECO and its success can be attributed to many things. However first and foremost, credit and recognition must be given to the people who make up the NECO family. This includes NECO's founders, its valued and loyal customers, its dedicated employees, past and present,and its current owner. As a group, they have laid a solid foundation for building a stronger future. Throughout the years, NECO has been fortunate to have hired and retained a number of dedicated and talented people. These individuals are well versed in what it takes to produce a quality product. As a group, the employees of NECO represent decades and decades of valuable experience in the grain handling industry. We will continue to value the relationships we have with our customers In addition, we will continue to insure that NECO products remain Top Quality, and an excellent value. |
| NECO, Nebraska Engineering Co. | 1-800-367-6208 |
| 9364 N. 45th St. / Box 12277 | 402-453-6912 / FAX: 402-453-0471 |
| Omaha, NE 68152 |
Email: sales@necousa.com |