It’s not every day that the Manufacturing Express visits an organization that’s older than the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), but today it was a meeting of the centenarians in Mendota, Ill. as HCC, Inc. welcomed the Manufacturing Express.

Mendota is a community of about 7,000 located 85 miles west of Chicago. Regionally, it is known for its Sweet Corn Festival that brings thousands of visitors to town each August. The event features a parade and carnival and is sponsored by Del Monte Foods, one of several long standing firms in the community. As with other Manufacturing Express stops, this is a place that relishes its county fair and colorful history — actually, Wild Bill Hickok was born just up the road in Troy Grove.

HCC, Inc. began as a company specializing in agricultural harvesting equipment, and still makes components you’ll find across the farming heartland. But the company has expanded over the years. In 2003 HCC acquired Triple-C in Sabetha, Kansas, another Manufacturing Express tour stop. In 2012, the company launched its operation in Brazil focused on manufacturing reels and sieves. In 2020, HCC and Allis Roller created a joint manufacturing venture in Curitiba, Brazil.

Mark Lamboley, who both welcomed the tour and led a walk-through of the 60-year-old plant, said the HCC, Inc. of today is only partly about repeat products, with most customers needing customization.

“Nearly every project is unique,” explains Lamboley. “We are able to offer very customized (metal) fabrication and assembly solutions, and we work closely with our customers to understand exactly their requirements, and we can help design solutions.”