Sep. 9--DIXON -- The economy hasn't been kind to Sauk Valley businesses in the past year -- doors have closed and many members of the work force have been displaced. The manufacturing and construction sectors, in particular, have taken hard hits, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

So how is it that one local manufacturer has managed not just to keep its doors open during this recession, but during every up- and downswing of the economy since 1909?

The Plews/Edelmann Division of Tomkins Industrial and Automotive this year is celebrating 100 years in business. General Manager Steve Venghaus attributes the company's staying power to its ability to adapt and change, and to product innovation.

E. Edelmann & Co. first opened its doors in Chicago. Founder Erich Edelmann started by selling air valves and steam gauges to local plumbing and heating contractors.

By the time the wholesale vendor moved to Dixon, in 1972, the line of products had expanded to include a range of automotive parts and tools.

Today, Plews/Edelmann designs, manufactures and distributes a wide range of products, from tire-pressure monitoring systems to biodegradable lubricants made from U.S.-grown vegetables.

Eight years ago, the company had six product lines; today it has 12, Venghaus said.

The company also has stayed afloat by shifting its focus from manufacturing to distribution in recent years, he said.

Costs are kept low by making hoses in Mexico and by buying finished products from China. When a sister plant in New York closed in March, manufacturing and distribution of its products moved to Dixon. Now, there is just one other small distribution plant, in California, Venghaus said.

Still, the Dixon plant hasn't been impervious to the economy.

Although company sales in the automotive aftermarket (replacement hoses carried by local auto parts stores, for example) are slightly up this year, sales on the industrial side are down.

Industrial sales (air hoses for industrial compressors, and air guns, for example) are down 27 percent this year, Venghaus said. Automotive aftermarket sales are up just 4 percent.

"So it's kind of an offset," he said. "We're down, but we're still doing much better than a lot of others. People are obviously watching what they spend -- they tend to repair automobiles more often than they go out and buy new."

Even with sales down, Venghaus said, the company works hard to keep from laying off employees. Full-time employment has hovered right around 200 for at least the 8 years he's been with the company, Venghaus said, and he doesn't remember layoffs in at least 3 years.

Plews/Edelmann uses its temporary work force, made up of about 20 employees, to avoid full-time layoffs, he said.

Longtime employees Cindy Stauffer and Anita Rockett said that stability has kept them with the company. Stauffer has worked for Plews/Edelmann for 31 years; Rockett will reach her 35th anniversary with the company in November.

"There has never been one year that we have got our pay cut," Rockett said. "You don't want to walk away from all that."

"Good benefits, too," Stauffer said. "That helps."

The company, and management, always have shown a high regard for their employees, the women said.

"I think the people who are in the leadership actually know what they're doing," Rockett said. "Mr. Venghaus is always asking for our ideas, our input. He's out in the factory walking around. He's not afraid to stop and ask a question."

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