In the more than 90 years since its inception in Waunakee, Endres Manufacturing Company has experienced changes during the four generations of leadership.
Today, its president is Sam Ballweg, the great-grandson of Larry Endres Sr. And the steel fabrication work has evolved into manufacturing structurally steel floors for modular data centers on “cloud farms” to store companies’ data.
At the Sept. 13 Waunakee Rotary meeting, Sam showed a video about the company’s history and introduced Jeff Mccurry and Randy Herbrand, who are helping to lead the company into the 21st Century.
With company’s campus decorated for the Wauktoberfest wine tasting and the ensuing weekend festivities, Rotarians then toured the buildings.
The Waunakee company’s founder, Larry Endres Sr., had patents for farm equipment and was an inventor. His son, Larry Endres, took over the company at a young age. In the video, Diane Endres Ballweg, Larry Jr.’s daughter, recalled the early years living next door to the company and helping out.
In 1979, the company moved to its present location on N. Century Avenue. Now as Waunakee grows, the worry is the same as then – that there will be no room for future expansion.
The company has been a structural steel fabricator of beams to support larger structures, Ken Ballweg, CEO, said.
Changes in building and technology have introduced computer systems, lasers and other technology.
The industry is changing, Sam said, and it takes much more to get jobs done based on the needs of the customers. The new technology is not replacing workers, but changing how they work. Accounting systems have been upgraded, as well, and new technology on the shop floor is complementing the existing equipment.
Endres is now contracted with Cupertino Electric Inc., building the steel floors for the modular division. It’s a growing enterprise as the demand for data centers grows. Sam Ballweg said when they began working with Cupertino, Endres manufactured 20 of these per day. Five years later, that’s increased to one and a half to two per day.
Once the steel has been fabricated, Springfield Welding blasts and paints it.  
Endres Manufacturing has expanded into a new building for the production. Currently, Endres employs about 85 workers and has added a few to a second shift.
“The second shift is really big for us,” Sam said.

 

Other news:
–Dan Statz, one of the greeters, spoke about himself for his 90 seconds of fame. He grew up on Holiday Drive and now lives in the Meadowbrook subdivision. He and his wife, Kristin, will be married 27 years, and he has been a Rotarian for 26 years. They have a son, a sophomore at Waunakee High School.
–The Waunakee Rustic Road Race will be on Oct. 14. Club members will meet at Trappers Turn for brunch at 10 a.m., or if you want to skip the brunch, you can show up around noon for maps and goodies. Each stop will have an envelope leading you to the next location.
–President Mark McFarland said a benefit is set at WaunaBowl for children affected by XLH; Rotarians are asked to bring gift cards for a silent auction to be held Oct. 20.

 

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Guests: Barb Hill, guest of Todd Schmidt; Udo Breisinger and David Dargenio, guests of Phil Willems; Beth Puccetti and Diane Anderson, guests of Ellen Schaaf; Don Olson, guest of Linda Olson; Sam Ballweg and Randy Herbrand, tour guides at Endres.

 

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Birthdays: Sept. 22, Mike Ableidinger; Sept. 23, Chris Kenney; Sept. 25, Allan Dassow.

 

Anniversaries: Sept. 20, Neil and Sharon Kruschek; Sept. 22, Rex and Brenda Endres; Sept. 25, Bob and Karen Klostermann.

 

 

Greeters: Sept. 20, Harriet Statz and Ray Statz; Sept. 27, Guy Stratton and Don Tierney; Oct. 4, Joe Townley and Susan Vergeront; Oct. 11, Sean Wayne and David Weishoff; Oct. 18, Sara Whitley and Phil Willems.