This post is part of an ongoing series of manufacturer profiles. The blogs will cover some of the many names in manufacturing in the state of Nebraska. Check back later for more posts in the series. To see previous posts in the series, click here.

Up until this point, all of our profiles of Nebraska manufacturers have been of big name companies–Kellogg’s, Kawasaki, Hornady, etc.

And while all of those companies are very important to the industry and the economy, it’s important not to forget the small businesses in manufacturing.

Some 250,000 manufacturers in the U.S. have –and that’s a big percentage, seeing as there were roughly 259,000 manufacturers in the country in 2010.

These small manufacturers may not have the big names (or as many employees) as their well-known counterparts, but they’re just as important to manufacturing as anyone else.

Today, then (and over the next several posts in the series), we’re going to switch things up and write about a local small business in the manufacturing industry, .

Millard Manufacturing is a great example of the type of manufacturing small business we just mentioned. They’re a stainless steel fabricator specializing in custom machinery and equipment for industrial food processing plants. Their core industries include (amongst others):

• Pork processors
• Beef processors
• Canned operations
• Fresh & frozen food operations
• Poultry Processors
• Industrial
  

They have a great collection of resources (photos, 3D models, case studies, etc.) , where you can find more in-depth information about what they do.

Millard Manufacturing has been around for 40+ years, and they have less than 100 employees. They’re based in Omaha, and are such a good example because, while they may be small from an employee stand-point, they’re anything but from a technology perspective.

Millard Manufacturing’s (visitor-friendly) facility, for example, has:

• Over 100,000 Ft² of manufacturing
• (10) Loading Docks — (8) are Drive-in
• (2) Customer Conference Rooms
• (10) Assembly Bays
• High Bay Ceilings
• Automated Material Handling System
• Factory Acceptance Testing (F.A.T.)
• TIG / MIG Welding
• Water Jet Services
• “In-House” Passivation Operation
• Engineering & 2D/3D CAD Services

So, while they may not be as big in employment size as some of the big names we’ve mentioned since starting this series, they have just as much manufacturing technology, and are just as suited to fitting the growing needs of their customers as anyone else.

As the company themselves says,

Millard [Manufacturing] is large enough and experienced enough to work with major corporations and engineering firms but small enough to care about the small company with simple equipment needs. We supply equipment nationwide to many different industries.

Really, then, businesses like these are a great mix of both–the manufacturing capabilities of a large corporation, but with all of the advantages of a small business.

The next time you think of manufacturers here in Nebraska, remember–there’s much more than meets the eye.

While big companies may be the most memorable for some people, small businesses like Millard Manufacturing and others account for a large percentage of manufacturing business here in Nebraska. The same is true across the U.S., and we want to remind everyone that small businesses in manufacturing are just as important as anyone else.

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