Blue Ox Recognized By White House
Automotive Equipment Manufacturing Co., which operates under the name Blue Ox, recently was recognized at a White House and U.S. Department of Agriculture event to acknowledge manufacturing success in rural America.
Automatic Equipment Manufacturing Co., which is based in Pender, Nebraska, was selected along with other manufacturers from around the country for successfully establishing and growing a business in a rural region. Pender is a Nebraska community of 1,146 residents located in the northeast portion of the state. The company incorporated in 1968 and primarily produces towing equipment for the RV industry. The company has diversified its focus and also manufactures heavy-duty tow bars for the defense industry. Efforts are being made to establish additional growth opportunities in this area.
To make this possible, First National Bank of Omaha provided a loan, guaranteed by USDA Rural Development’s Business and Guaranteed Loan program, to Automatic Equipment Manufacturing Co. to restructure its financial plan and to purchase new equipment. With the restructuring, 110 jobs were retained.
Jay Hesse, owner, president, and CEO of Automatic Equipment Manufacturing Co., participated in the event, along with John Grose and Allen Hansen, representatives of First National Bank of Omaha.
New Book Makes Traveling 1-95 Interesting, Educational
What’s Great About I-95: Maine To Florida by Barbara Barnes ($22.95, Opal Publishing Company) is a family-friendly travel guide that will make any trip along this 1,920-mile stretch of highway, the longest north-south interstate in the United States, fun and interesting.
The 192-page book guides readers through 15 eastern states, beginning at the Canadian border in Houlton, Maine, and ending in Miami, Florida. Each section begins with a map of the state (or states) and includes mileposts along the route detailing fun facts, figures, and stories for each stop along the way. The book is filled with history, geology, geography, current events, and much more to help make the journey more interesting.
Readers will find out which four U.S. presidents were born in Norfolk County, Massachusetts; the fortunate circumstances surrounding the acquisition of Triple Crown-winning thoroughbred Secretariat; why North Carolinians are referred to as “Tarheels”; and how one Florida town became the “Winter Film Capital of the World” during the early 1900s. From information about historic cities and battlefields to quirky trivia that will have you saying, “I didn’t know that,” the book provides miles of entertainment and conversation-starters to keep travelers engaged throughout the trip.
The guide also includes a visitors information section with Web site addresses for many of the towns highlighted in the book, along with contact and address information for specific attractions featured along the route.
What’s Great About I-95: Maine To Florida is available at bookstores, through online booksellers, and from the publisher at www.interestinginterstates.com; (412) 487-7177.