By DAVE SCHULTZ
OSSIAN — When Trusted Manufacturing was a new company, settled in on Cherry Street in Bluffton with three employees, Cheryl Gerber had a wish — she wanted to see the company that she and her husband Mike started grow to six employees.
How about 70?
On Wednesday, representatives of the Wells County Chamber of Commerce went to Trusted Manufacturing’s current location on Baker Drive in Ossian to recognize the company as the Wells County Business of the Year.
Cheryl and Mike’s son, Lane Gerber, now owns the business with his wife Christen. It was Lane Gerber who accepted the honor, which was presented to him by Erin Prible, executive director of the chamber.
Lane Gerber said he had an idea that the company had been nominated, and was delighted when the received the news Wednesday.
“We are very blessed,” he said.
The company was founded in 1991 and has been in Ossian since 1994. It does contract metal manufacturing, which Gerber says is involved with a lot of furniture, and making interior walls for buildings.
The company has two 10-hour shifts four days a week, Monday through Thursday. Its employee Christmas luncheon was Wednesday, and the chamber representatives showed up shortly before noon to give the word to everyone involved.
“We are really proud of who you are and what you represent,” Prible read as she made Wednesday’s announcement. “Your community involvement, support in many initiatives, and the people you reach day in and day out makes you an outstanding corporate citizen.
“Your focus on the family and putting people first is leadership in action,” Prible continued. “Realizing the potential in your workforce and guiding them to success is just another attribute worthy of recognition.”
Prible had paperwork that showed Trusted Manufacturing and the company now owned by Mike and Cheryl Gerber, Trusted Solutions Group Inc., received eight laudatory nominations between them, citing the companies’ community involvement and its willingness to go the extra mile.
Trusted Manufacturing will be formally honored at the Wells County Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner and awards ceremony Feb. 27 with the Citizen of the Year and the Educators of the Year from the county’s three public school districts.
daves@news-banner.com
