After two decades in business, Progressive Sheet Metal is still proving that small-town values and quality workmanship never go out of style.
Progressive Sheet Metal President Don Peek has worked in manufacturing since the 1980s and started his business in 2005. He said he had moved up in his field throughout the years and was familiar with all the equipment and processes from start to finish.
Due to his long career, he had many contacts who became customers as soon as he opened his business. Over time, Progressive Sheet Metal picked up more customers, including bigger businesses.
“When we started, I ran the equipment,” Don said. “It was myself and my wife and one other person part-time. I ran the equipment until we grew large enough to start hiring people.”
Progressive Sheet Metal has about 20 employees. During its busiest time, it employed 30. Over the years, the business has also seen major improvements in technology.
When Progressive Sheet Metal started, its workers handled almost everything over the phone. Now, everything from emails to purchase orders is electronic. Additionally, the equipment and its technology have become much more efficient.
“We’re now doing electronic assemblies for different companies, the railroad included,” Don said. “We had no experience in that when we started, but we were asked if we could. We asked if they would train us, and they said ‘yes,’ and that’s how we got started.”
Don’s wife, Laurie, has worked in finance in the manufacturing industry since 1990. She has been with Progressive Sheet Metal since its beginning and said it is a special feeling to work alongside her husband.
“Don is a great person to work with,” she said. “I know that’s a challenge for some spouses, but Don makes it incredibly easy. He’s very reasonable and has reasonable expectations, and that’s made it a very good outcome for us.”
Laurie said she also loves working in a community with such honest people who are invested in the success of local businesses.
“We have been fortunate that we get to choose who we work with, and the people that we have as clients and as vendors are just honorable people,” she said.
Progressive Sheet Metal offers extensive metal fabrication services: material sales; design, development and prototyping of components and assembly; light assembly and contract manufacturing. They can do electronic testing and programming and offer an array of fabricated and assembled products, including rehab and exercise equipment, communication and electronic equipment for the railroad industry and pellet grills.
“I enjoy the satisfaction of helping a customer take an idea to completion and see it on the market, see it working and doing what they wanted it to do,” Don said.
Progressive Sheet Metal works with both individuals and large companies and prioritizes offering quality workmanship at competitive prices.
“We wanted our customers to be able to talk to someone when they called, not to get an answering machine or be put through to a voicemail,” Don said. “We try hard to have someone always be there to answer questions and respond quickly, whether they’re a large customer or a small customer.”
Throughout it all, the goal at Progressive Sheet Metal has always been to give quality customer service and be a place people can trust for quality, honest and fair services.
"I like to be treated with honesty and openness and fairness, and I think everybody deserves that,” Don said.
