Mowing Runs In Gerdes Family

October 28, 2005



Born and raised in the town of Auburn, Neb., Jeff Gerdes began working at Auburn Consolidated Industries, Inc. (ACI), a commercial lawnmower company, as a part-time test technician before starting college in 1978. That same year, his father Marv retired as Auburn school principal and joined ACI as General Manager. Jeff will tell you that his dad took the job at ACI to keep an eye on him. Or maybe it was just a coincidence that Marv retired from the school district and started at ACI the same year his son graduated high school and started at ACI. Jeff thinks not.

But this father and son pair quickly made things happen at ACI. Marv started the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) in 1985, the first year the program was available. Since then, more than seven million companies have been eligible for SHARP consideration, but only 800 have fulfilled the criteria to be accepted. Of those 800, ACI was the first to receive the SHARP Award, participating in the program longer than any company in the United States, thanks to Marv. ACI was recently honored for achieving 20 consecutive years of excellence in the program, the first and only company to receive such an honor.

Jeff graduated Peru State and became a full-time ACI employee in 1983, working in the engineering department where he designed, built and tested parts and equipment. He also worked as a Continuous Improvement Coordinator and a Supervisor of the fabrication, welding and assembly departments before becoming Safety Coordinator in 2000, the same year his father retired from ACI. Jeff is now an Inside Sales Representative.

When asked what has kept him at ACI for the last 27 years, Jeff simply replied, "ACI treats employees the way they want employees to treat them." ACI continuously strives to retain the top ten percent in the industry by emphasizing a family atmosphere and employee comradery. "The attitude and morale here are super," said Jeff.

Jeff's son Jared became a third generation ACI employee in 2002, following in his father's footsteps by working summers at ACI while attending college.

You know what they say, like Gerdes father, like Gerdes son.