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By MARIAN GALBRAITH
Staff Writer
Acme Mechanical Contractors, located at 612 Volunteer Parkway in Manchester’s Interstate Industrial Park, is a family business now entering its fourth generation, according to its general manager Ty Broadbent.
“My grandfather started the company in Nashville in 1975,” Broadbent said, “then we moved to Tullahoma in 1978 and into the industrial park in 1981.
“Now that my son has recently started working here, too, that makes our fourth generation.”
Acme currently employs 22 people. In the front row (from left) are Patrick Prosser, Debbie Harris, Darin Perkins, Michael Piper, George Besherse and Gary Leonard. In the back row (from left) are Ty Broadbent, Mike Tosh, Keith Boehman, Jonathan Tosh, Carl Meadows and Elbert Todd. Not pictured are Gene Nickles, Josh Nickles, Chris Meadows, Tyler Broadbent, Tom Broadbent and Bruce Curtis.
The company specializes in steel fabrication of water and wastewater tanks, including some of the largest in the world, with clients and installations as far away as Iraq and Antarctica.
“We made a package treatment plant for the National Science Foundation at McMurdo Station in Antarctica back in 2001,” Broadbent said, “and our largest system so far was for Camp Victory in Iraq, which treated a million gallons of water a day.”
The company currently has 22 employees, down from its former high of 35.
“Our business really got hit in about 2010, then bounced back somewhat in 2011. It’s been steady in 2012 but not as busy as we would like.”
Broadbent said that since many of its jobs are driven by the federal government and its contractors, most of his clients are waiting until after the election in November before making major decisions.
While the company has not made any major investments lately, Broadbent feels confident that business will pick up, especially in the area of clean water tanks for large companies, rest stops and small cities.
“We hope to eventually re-hire back to the 35 employees we had before, and ultimately add a second shift when business is stronger,” he said.
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles on manufacturers located in Coffee County.
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