New owner to bring more jobs to Spencer

SPENCER - Ryan Hunter purchased the business assets of SPM International Inc., a gasket manufacturer in Spencer, in October of 2011, and has been working hard to get the facility up to his standards. Hunter, a self-proclaimed "gasket geek," believes SPM can do things that are in high demand in the United States.

Hunter couldn't say enough good things about the employees at SPM Gaskets. "The people here are tremendously productive." The compliments didn't stop with just the employees. "Everyone is so nice here. The typical look in California is a scowl. Here, when you drive down the street, everyone waves, people open doors for you. People like each other here," said Hunter.

Hunter began SCE Gaskets in Lancaster, Calif., in 1989. SCE Gaskets quickly became the biggest name in copper gaskets, and now offers cutting edge engine gaskets of all types. SCE Gaskets, Inc. is the world leader in racing and hard core engine gaskets. Several gasket categories, such as embossed copper exhaust gaskets, self sealing copper head gaskets, and integral combustion seals, are the result of SCE Gaskets' racetrack-to-roadway innovations.

Hunter is bringing two-thirds of the jobs in California to the Spencer facility. There are currently eight full-time employees at SPM, and Hunter believes he can have approximately 35 in the building. The 30,000 square foot building could be expanded to three times that size; the lot allows for the space, but Hunter isn't rushing into anything. "There's definite potential here," he said.

Kathy Evert, president and CEO of the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation, said, "This is great news for the Spencer community and surrounding area. This is an acquisition that will keep jobs and investment in the region, add new jobs and likely introduce the Spencer area to other businesses in this industry that may not otherwise learn about the area."

SPM Gaskets' original owner had run the company for 36 years. Hunter has plans for the facility, including upgrading some die cutting machines and stamping presses to increase efficiency and reduce waste while maintaining safety. "Fortunately, it's a buyer's market for machinery right now," said Hunter. A bay door is planned on the south side of the building, including a conveyor belt for delivery trucks.

Hunter's son Aaron is the manager of the Spencer facility. Aaron, his wife Ashley and their children made the transition from California to Spencer. Due to the education system in California, Aaron and Ashley pulled their children out of school, and she was homeschooling them. After seeing the Spencer schools, the couple felt confident their children would receive an excellent education in the public school.

The gaskets produced at SPM aren't a typical gasket; these have fire ring armor inserted into the body. The SPM facility is unique in that they do their own silicone beading on the gaskets. Not many companies do beading, so SPM does it for them.

SPM produces private label brands. Customers won't see an SPM gasket in the store, but they will see SPM products other under other brand names. Finished products are combined into kits which can be found in auto supply stores.

Evert said it has been fun working with Ryan and Aaron Hunter, helping them get settled in the area and meeting others in the community. "It has been refreshing to hear their experience, which so far, has been a great testimonial to doing business in the Spencer community."

SPM Gaskets is located at 618 East 10th Street in Spencer.

This program is best-suited for entrepreneurs in their early stages of business development. It provides the tools necessary to develop a business concept, determine the viability of the business concept, and outline the critical steps to a successful business launch.

Kauffman FastTrac®, an initiative of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, is a practical, hands-on business development program designed to help entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to create, manage and grow successful businesses. Kauffman FastTrac® participants don't just learn about the business, they live it. They work on their own business ideas or ventures throughout the program - moving their ventures to reality or to new levels of growth. Kauffman FastTrac® programs were created by entrepreneurs and are facilitated by entrepreneurs.

The FastTrac course will begin Tuesday, February 21. Sessions will be held every Tuesday for 10 weeks from 6:30-9:30 p.m., at the Iowa Lakes Corridor office in Spencer. 

Contact Brian at the Corridor office for more information at 712-264-3474, or send him an email.

SPENCER - Big Dawg's Hot Sauce began with Brian Fassbender's homemade hot sauce. Fassbender introduced it to his friend Scott Simpson, and it was evident the sauce was something special. They named it Big Dawg's after Fassbender's nickname, Big Dawg.

They are taking the product to the next level by connecting with the University of Nebraska's Food Entrepreneur Assistance Program. The program will help them with shelving and selling to grocery stores.

Big Dawg's Hot Sauce can be purchased by emailing bigdawg@smunet.net. One pint costs $5, and comes in three flavors: Not So Hot, Hot, and Dawg-gone Hot. A mailing list has also been established to keep customers up-to-date with the sauce.

The pair is having talks with Del's Garden Center about growing the peppers during the 2012 growing season. "Del's has been very helpful in working with the peppers and roasting them," said Simpson. Being able to grow the peppers locally is important to Simpson and Fassbender.

The group took Big Dawg's to the Hiney Wine Festival last fall, which took the product to another level. "We were mainly selling to our circles of friends," said Simpson, "but this exposed it to a larger crowd and new faces." 

• Transportation and infrastructure funding
• Long-term funding for surface transportation projects in Iowa
• Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill
• US Highway 20, Highway 86, Highway 9
• Direct funding to cities/counties/states for major infrastructure projects, especially those federally mandated
• CDBG, EPA, USDA Rural Development
• Sewer, wastewater, drainage, lake dredging, power transmission projects
• Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization
• Spencer eligible to compete for UAS Test Sites included in FAA Reauthorization
• Jobs and Workforce
• Assist regions in specific workforce training/retraining initiatives to address widening skills gap and meet needs of existing employers
• Assist regions in adding new technical training programs in area middle and high schools to increase pipeline for a skilled workforce in Corridor region
• Assist regions in expanding technical training at area community colleges
• Fund the National Guard Bureau's Sept. 2010, 5-year contract with Polaris Industries for fielding the All Terrain Ultra Light Tactical Vehicles to all 50 states and 4 territories, to conduct homeland and disaster relief support and sustainment missions
• These ATULTV vehicles are manufactured in Spirit Lake, and directly benefit the regional economy in terms of jobs and investment
• Renewal of the wind energy production tax credit
• Housing
• HUD HOME funding - important to non-profit organizations to acquire, rehab, lease/purchase homes for LMI families in Iowa
• HUD CDBG funding - important to local communities to rehabilitate older housing stock; housing in Corridor ranges from 30-78% of the housing is more than 50 years old. 
• New banking regulations impact on lending for home mortgages

State

•  Entrepreneurship
• Tax Credits
• Angel Investor tax credit
• ICIB tax credits
• R&D tax credits
• Funding to support entrepreneurial ventures
• Entrepreneurial Venture Component
• Targeted Small Business Program
• Demonstration Fund
• Regional business accelerator programs like the Iowa Lakes Corridor
• Workforce
• 260E and 260F funding for jobs training and retraining
• Increase pool for 260F funding to meet retraining needs, widening skills gaps in Iowa, meet needs of existing employers
• Flexible funding for regional workforce initiatives
• Support funding to add technical programs back into high schools as part of education reform
• Housing
• Change classification of multi-family housing properties to residential vs commercial
• Funding for special housing iniatives at the regional level
• Business Development
• Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Program Funding
• Financing programs and tax credits for entrepreneurs, existing company expansions, new company locations, infrastructure needed to support the employers
• Consider wage thresholds be set by region and by industry
• Provide regional marketing funds again for regional-directed initiatives and priorities
• Leave TIF alone; oppose any changes that weaken its flexibility and use by local governments to support development 
• Support Lake School Start Date
• Infrastructure funding for key projects (highways, sewer, wastewater, lake dredging, power transmission)
• Remove unnecessary regulatory and reporting requirements
• Review state fire code regulations and impact on new construction in Iowa
• Clean water requirements being imposed and testing requirements - impact on existing industry