By Jolene Farley
Northland Precision Machine Inc. and Technical Services Inc. will change the business make-up on Main Street, Hills.
The companies purchased the former American Salvage building from the Economic Development Authority for $2,400 in May and began modifying the building for their businesses. Walls were reinforced, the building was painted and a new overhead door was added.
Don Packard is president of Northland Precision Machine, and John Schwing is president of Technical Services. Both businesses currently operate in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Packard, who attended a two-year tool and die program in Granite Falls, started his business in 1997.
He invented a plastic hitch-pin holder for pins from vehicles like gravity wagons and pickups.
Packard designed the molds needed to manufacture the pin holders and now has another company produce them. The patent for his invention is pending.
Schwing graduated from Granite Falls VoTech with a degree in electronics and robotics/flexible automation. He also graduated from National American University, Sioux Falls, with a degree in applied management.
He started Technical Services in late 1989 where he builds custom controls and automation for area manufacturing companies and the food industry.
Schwing also developed, designed and patented a device used on heavy-duty trucks, the FireOptic brand of bumper guides and lenses.
The two companies suspended bidding on jobs until their move to Hills was complete. Schwing said it will take a couple of weeks to fine-tune the machines they moved, but there are projects they could do now.
The two businesses are separate but complement each other. "Don will be a customer of mine, and I will be a customer of his," Schwing said.
"I started out just doing control work only, but a lot of customers are dependent on building the machines. That's how Don and I hooked up," Schwing said.
Some customers want only troubleshooting or programming. Others want tooling, wiring or pneumatics, according to Schwing.
Packard and Schwing hope to add CNC technology, or computer numerical controlled technology, to their businesses soon. That would enable the companies to manufacture more shapes in both metal and plastic.
"The sky is basically the limit for what you can do with plastic molding," Schwing said.
The need for extra employees depends on the manufacturing bids they are awarded. They usually hire friends looking for extra work who have some technical knowledge.
Although the manufacturing end of both businesses will now be located in Hills, Packard and Schwing plan to keep their offices in their homes in Sioux Falls.