By TIM UNRUH
Salina Airport Authority
Continued expansion of Salina-based Great Plains Manufacturing prompted one of its suppliers, Hentzen Coatings, to locate needed products close to the national and international equipment maker.
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisc., Hentzen has leased 9,175 square feet of warehouse space, Building 595, Unit A, in the Salina Airport Industrial Center. It is stocked with products necessary to Great Plains and other customers in a multi-state region.
Billed as one of the largest privately owned industrial manufacturing companies in the nation, Hentzen has been in business since 1923, and has enjoyed “a long relationship with Great Plains Manufacturing,” said Kirk Pigatto, Hentzen vice president and general manager.
The company maintains a “strong presence” in the Plains states, he said.
As a member of the Kubota North America Corporation, Great Plains, founded in 1976, manufactures agricultural implements for tillage, seeding and planting, along with dirt working, turf maintenance, material handling and landscaping equipment.
The company is comprised of Great Plains Ag, Great Plains International, Land Pride, and Great Plains Trucking, according to greatplainsmfg.com.
“They’ve had tremendous growth, and we’re committed to providing the highest level of service. That’s been a driver behind us investing in a warehouse in Salina,” Pigatto said. “We’ve been supplying Great Plains/Land Pride since 2008.”
Hentzen supplies Great Plains with both liquid and powder coatings that are be stored locally for the growing customer base.
“We’ll hold materials in Salina so they’ll have same-day service for all their needs,” he said.
Hentzen employs two workers at the warehouse, in addition to several individuals who service Great Plains/Land Pride full-time.
The warehouse will be added to five Hentzen facilities in Wisconsin, Illinois, Florida, and South Carolina, Pigatto said.
Great Plains employs more than 1,500 workers in Salina, Ellsworth, Assaria, Tipton, Abilene, Kipp, and Lucas in north-central Kansas. The company’s International Division has a number of locations in eastern Europe.