June 17, 2024
GREEN BAY – It’s all about growth at Hurckman Mechanical Industries (HMI) in Green Bay.
So much so that the industrial mechanical contractor relocated its headquarters from Velp Avenue to 164 N. Broadway in downtown Green Bay – a direct result, Brad Hurckman, current CEO/owner, said of expanded growth.
“The move to our downtown Green Bay location was all about the growth we’ve seen as a company,” he said.
Brad said Hurckman specializes in design/build solutions, technology and craftsmanship for industrial, commercial and marine projects.
Until the move, HMI’s services – which include engineering, design, fabrication, installation and service of mechanical systems, such as HVAC, plumbing, process piping, insulation, biogas and refrigeration – had been at its Velp location since the early 1970s.
The move downtown
Due to its growth over the last 70 years, Brad said, “in a sense, we were pushed out” of our former office location.
“We had optimized nearly every square inch we had in that space,” he said. “I think the new location will help us continue to grow for another 10-15 years.”
Brad said the company was initially looking to add onto its former location.
“With the price of construction, it wasn’t conducive,” he said. “It pointed me to buy instead of build.”
Finding the new space, Brad said, “was fortuitous.”
“I came down this road and saw a for sale sign on this building,” he said. “With it being only a few minutes from our production campus, it worked well.”
Interestingly enough, Brad said, HMI’s first office was located right behind the new building on Pearl Street.
“It’s almost like a homecoming for us,” he said. “It’s come full circle with where we started as a company. Our current building used to be where Aurora BayCare was located. There is a lot of development in downtown Green Bay, so it’s exciting to be here.”
Despite moving HMI’s office operations out of the Velp location, Brad said that building will still be utilized.
“That’s where our production operates, so the building will still be used extensively,” he said. “Our project management and service group is currently in that building. The goal is to get our accounting and service teams to the new location. (The Velp location) will completely be a production facility. As the (Velp location) grows, we can add a wing onto that building if needed.”
Additionally, Brad said HMI also recently acquired an additional 3.4 acres on Donald Street (near Velp) for another production site.
Brad said HMI will utilize two of the new building’s three floors.
“There are several areas that are nice for our employees,” he said. “We’re looking to lease out the first floor – for the time being. We also finished our roof project – the rooftop lounge/retreat. Our employees can go there and relax a bit.”
New president
Not only has HMI moved its physical space, it has also made a move in terms of company leadership.
As of June 1, Hurckman Mechanical has a new president – Jake Warden.
“It’s about succession,” Brad said. “When my father had the vision to relinquish the company, he gave me the road map to succeed. He brought me up through the company from the ground up and throughout all the departments and divisions. In business, you can’t make catastrophic mistakes. You make decisions daily, and sometimes those small decisions can be mistakes. You have to move on.”
Brad said a similar situation occurred with Warden – and his “moving up the ranks.”
“I first met Jake at the shipyard (in Marinette) for Fincantieri – he was a project manager,” he said. “He came to us as a project manager. We’re growing as a company, and it was time to separate responsibilities so we could grow. We were in a position where the company was growing at the speed at which the good people we had needed to sell and manage the business. Jake’s job is to now grow the company – I took it as far as I could go.”
Warden, a Michigan Technological University graduate, said he needs Brad here to “learn the business.”
“Coming from the operations and project manager side of things, I was given a project and then ran with it – beat the timeline, beat the budget and beat the hours,” he said. “I’m trying to wrap my head around still doing that but also focusing on the sales side of things. I’m excited – there are plenty of opportunities to dive into. I come from an analytical mindset where I’m always trying to find ways to make things more efficient.”
Warden said his experience at Marinette Marine’s shipyard taught him a few things.
“One thing they don’t teach in college (for mechanical engineering) is how much desk time there is – computer dragging and drawing and all that fun stuff,” he said. “After several years of doing that, I wanted more. I came to Hurckman in 2015. Everything I’ve done at Hurckman to this point has led me to my current role.”
Though relinquishing his role as president, Brad said that doesn’t mean “I’m ready to ride off into the sunset quite yet.”
“I’ll be CEO/owner for quite a while,” he said. “I have young girls who may have an interest in the business, but they are too young to know that yet. It would be nice to have Hurckman Mechanical continue as a generational company – there is a lot of heart and soul involved with that. I know Jake would do that job whether there is a Hurckman here or not.”
Continued safety
Last fall, in conjunction with its 70th anniversary, Hurckman also celebrated one million, zero-lost work hours – something Warden said has continued into 2024.
The current (almost) 1.5 million hours will be achieved by mid-July, he said.
Brad said HMI is not afraid to spend money when it comes to safety.
“For our next goal, we want two million work hours without a lost-time accident and zero OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) recordables,” he said. “Working construction is fairly dangerous, so we take safety seriously. If you have good people working for you, it leads to good things.”
A look back in time
Hurckman’s roots run deep – back to the 1950s.
Incorporated in 1953, Brad – the third generation of the Hurckman family to lead the company – said the company has a long history of family lineage.
“My grandfather, Frank Hurckman, used to be a salesman during his younger days,” he said. “He was a cornice worker who made metal molds for buildings where the concrete could be poured into. He learned the trade in Colorado.”
Brad said his grandmother, Ann, was a teacher at Webster (Elementary in Green Bay), and “they took her savings to start the company.”
“They started with $5,000,” he said. “It was called Hurckman Metal & Roofing.”
“When the company was founded, my dad (John) was 10 years old – you could say he grew up around the business,” he said.
In 1967, the business was renamed Hurckman Metal Inc.
“My father took over the company about five years later,” he said.
In 1983, the company’s name was changed to Hurckman Mechanical Industries Inc. following the acquisition of Lindsley Plumbing and Heating Company.
The company also acquired the Carrier dealership of Hurckman Heating and Cooling and the TAC dealership of ConTech Network – which are divisions of Hurckman Mechanical Industries.
The transition into the third generation of Hurckman leadership began in 2005 when Brad took over as president.
For more information on Hurckman, visit hurckman.com.