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FOCUS ON - The F.O. Berg Company, Spokane, WA
The F.O. Berg Company was founded in 1883 as a tent and canvas
shop. Frederick Oliver
Berg, the founder, was the first individual to own an automobile
west of the Mississippi! In
the early days, Berg manufactured everything from large canvas
wall tens for the U.S. Army to
chicken jackets to keep foul warm during the cold Northwest
winters.
Current ownership involves three individuals - Bill Gabrio, Andy
Barrett and Craig
Dolsby. Bill Gabrio has owned the company for 12 years and has a
background in the banking
industry. He is the President of the F.O. Berg Company. Andy
Barrett has been with the F.O.
Berg Company for five years and has worked in the industry for Rainer Industries and the Astrup Company, both in Seattle. Andy has an MBA from Seattle
University and handles the
sales and marketing functions. Craig joined the company three
years ago. He has a Masters in
accounting and spent time at both Anderson Consulting and Kaiser
Aluminum. He specializes in
accounting, information systems and manufacturing systems.
The F.O. Berg Company is currently transforming itself from a
traditional canvas
company to a cutting edge fabricator of industrial fabric
products. We are doing this by
focusing on new equipment and better methods of fabrication. The F.O. Berg Company has been
investing in equipment and personnel in order to accomplish these
goals. We now boast that we
have the newest and most efficient ways of manufacturing in the
industrial fabrics industry. Growth markets for us stem mostly from partnerships with large
companies that distribute
on a global basis. We currently have partnerships with companies
focusing on the industrial
packaging market, environmental products arena and government
contracting market.
A partner, Sonoco Products Company, is a Fortune 500 company that
manufactures cores
and other packaging products. The F.O. Berg Company has developed
and patented a unique
method to manufacture woven and extruded polyethylene products for
the industrial packaging
markets. Together, with our partner, we distribute these products
on a global basis. We did
not have the marketing muscle to distribute these products. Sonoco
was already selling
products to all of out targets, so it was a perfect situation.
Sonoco got a proprietary
product for distribution, and we got instant distribution.
F.O. Berg recently built and moved into a new facility in Spokane.
The 30,000 square
foot building is designed specifically for manufacturing our
products. Retractable power drops
are located every eight feet and air is located with every other
one. Our fabrics are all
mounted on the walls for easy access. Most equipment is on wheels
so projects can be set up
and broken down quickly and efficiently.
F.O. Berg is currently eyeing another facility in the Midwest in
order to better
serve customers in the region. |
