Brehmer Manufacturing
Nebraska Extension Partnership
2023
"Having met Matt Allmand in discussions with the Nebraska MEP, his real-world experience and
facilitation really expanded our vision and helped us develop a strategic plan to propel Brehmer
Manufacturing forward. It is great to have resources like this available in Nebraska, and is
extremely beneficial."
Joe Brehmer, President
Strategy consulting leads to increased sales and investment
Brehmer Manufacturing, located in Lyons, Nebraska, manufactures high-quality fertilizer tenders, truck equipment installation, and stainless steel hog equipment. Known nationally for dry fertilizer tenders, Brehmer has a reputation for quality and innovation. The company is family owned and employs approximately 50 asssociates in Burt County. They take pride in the local community, helping it to grow and thrive.
The Challenge
Brehmer Manufacturing has successfully grown over the years and expanded its product offerings. However, this environment created loosely organized reporting structures, competing priorities, and plant inefficiencies. President Joe Brehmer knew the company needed a strategic vision to guide decision making, a better defined organizational structure, leadership development for its management, and comprehensive planning for future succession.
MEP's Role
Brehmer contracted with the Nebraska MEP and its director, Matt Allmand, to provide consulting related to developing their business strategy. Joe Brehmer felt that Matt Allmand of the Nebraska MEP would be able to assist the organization in these areas based on Allmand’s experience running a manufacturer. This process involved multiple meetings to develop three key strategic focuses to enhance growth in their products and services.
During the strategic development and deployment sessions, Allmand assisted Brehmer in developing an organizational chart with better defined responsibilities for the leadership team. Key operational employees were also identified and promoted to new positions to improve and better document production and provisioning processes. New product lines were tagged as priority growth areas for the company and streamlined the sales, purchasing and accounting functions. Building lighting, production shelving and IT enhancements were identified and implemented. Strategies for future succession within the company were also discussed and documented.
Results
This resulted in the following impacts:
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Increased sales of $360,000 by streamlining product lines and introducing new products. |
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Investment in plant & equipment of $300,000 by acquiring new die machinery, plant lighting and supply shelving systems. |
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Investment in information systems of $50,000. |
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Investment in workforce practices of $20,000. |
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Development of 5 new jobs. |