- Give us your customary “State of Business” update. How are things at Black Bros. as we enter Q2 of 2025?
Business is great. You know, the past seven-and-a-half, closing in on eight years I’ve been here we’ve had a nice strong book of business. We’re getting in returning customers quite a bit, and we’re also venturing out with new customers almost every single month. So our brand is strong, we’re getting our name out there. We’ve obviously made huge improvements with our website, our videos, our marketing. We have good exposure, great relationships with everyone in our industries, and longstanding (membership in key) associations. There’s a lot to be thankful for and a lot of good work coming up. - Always great to hear! … What concerns do you have about President Trump’s tariffs plan and the possible effects for Black Bros.?
The tariffs have been tough to keep up on because there’s been talks of implementing some, and it seems like it’s ready to go and then right before the midnight hour a deal is struck or tentative agreement reached. So it’s a roller coaster, and you’re seeing that in our markets as well. The stocks are down for the year, for sure. But you’re seeing that tradeoff/selloff reaction to the news of these tariffs in anticipation of how (investors) think it’s all going to go down. It’s certainly been interesting and something we have to stay diligent on and up to date with to make sure we are fully understanding. - Is it tariffs on Canadian-imported lumber and building materials that are the big ones for us to keep an eye on?
At the end of the day, it’s a full global economy now. So those, of course, are the two headliners — along with steel — that we will be directly affected by. But the trickle down from those big three that affect us is going to be felt everywhere else. Prices are going to fluctuate quite a bit in electronics and everything else, so we’re really going to have to keep our thumb on the pulse of what’s going on and be as best prepared as we can be. We’ve definitely taken steps to protect ourselves, ordering raw materials to be prepared and help cover all our bases if prices rise and (there is) scarcity of materials. - OK. Just to beat a dead horse here: Stocks are down for the year, serious price fluctuations may be coming. Is the recession talk real?
We are a top-two key player in how the world economy is affected. We’ve got to be ready for a bumpy ride. The predicted chances of a recession are not numbers that anyone wants to here, but we have to make sure we are watching our books and are ready to be proactive rather than reactive. I feel like the Feds are bullish and have the chances of a recession much lower, but if you look at the betting markets and the data analytics guys, they put that number closer to 40% … so its a reality that we (may) be facing. So, yeah, makes for some uncertain and scary times. But also there’s opportunity in everything. So, we’ll keep pushing on and trusting ourselves and our company to keep providing to others the best we can. We’ll find solutions what ever way possible. - True story. … The test lab, it’s seen a lot of action early in 2025. How important is it to the company’s success?
Our lab is one of our best resources. We manufacture custom machinery that is built to solve customers’ problems. So, the lab is really our chance to show off all the capabilities we have. We make some amazing machinery, and there are a ton of different options that we can provide on our equipment. So the chance to get a customer in and show them, “Hey, we have this machine that can demonstrate this, this, and this. Here’s a Servo elevator, here’s how we meter and measure glue.” All those options are so good for the customer to see in person. Also, just the knowledge and the trust that the customer can gain in us as well. They’re learning something every time they come in, because we have our team of experts — sales, our lab manager Casey (Marks), Tate (Frig) our R&D manager, production members. It helps them trust us and builds on the foundation that makes our lab so important. It’s the greatest classroom we have at our disposal, and the reason we have so many of our custom ideas and machine options is (because of) the R&D that takes place there. - (Chris Fusinetti, Lead Technician) was just in China helping with a machine setup and doing training on a coater. How cool is that?
We’re a small town. Of course, the advent of the railroad is how my ancestors stumbled upon Mendota and how great of a community it is. So, there’s definitely a sense of pride when you look at the numbers and say we make all these great machines. And, yeah, we also ship them all the way across the world. … So, you want to make sure to take a step back and realize we do just that. This is who we are. We’re the leaders of this industry for a reason and our brand and reputation back up why companies across the globe continue to use our equipment. Very cool, very humbling, and something we should all be proud of because it’s what we’ve worked for. - I tend to agree. Speaking of Mendota, your family is always offering civic support. What’s on the docket now and for the future?
You know, small towns across this country experienced a huge boom post WWII or even throughout the early part of the Twentieth Century. As times changed, the suburbs blew up, urban life took over. The rural areas weren’t forgotten about, but weren’t the prize they once were. Now, it’s so important for small towns like Mendota to have that sense of pride and revitalize downtown. Just by little things — cleaning up older buildings, a fresh coat of paint goes a long way, or creating bike paths. Those are all small things we are actively working on with
Reimagine and the City of Mendota. A big goal we still want to see in our community is an indoor sports facility. A place where you stay active, and a benefit for all ages. It provides a ton of different opportunities, including one day bringing people to our town and spending money at our restaurants and businesses. It’s on the radar for sure, we’re doing a bunch of deep-diving research to try and get it done.
HEADQUARTERS
501 Ninth Avenue
P.O. Box 410
Mendota, IL
61342-0410
SOUTHEAST DIVISION
1315 Baker Road
P.O. Box 4226
High Point, NC
27263-4226
