Elite Products and Services, a custom design, research and development company, has opened east of the Gallatin school at 709 Ogden Street in Gallatin. The company has 32 plus years of expertise in manufacturing of metal, plastic, electrical and electronic products, according to owner and president Mike Andersen.
Andersen said he had been in business his whole life, beginning with his father’s business in 1960. That company was located in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and involved the making of all kinds of products, from irrigation main line pipe mill producing pipe from 6" – 24" diameter, to forced air fireplace systems to satellite dishes and trailer towing products, Google search the Rapid Hitch.
EPS in Gallatin is set up with equipment Andersen is familiar with, including a welding; 25- and 45-ton mechanical presses; 2.5" x 60" belt grinder (great to sharpen lawn mower blades); mechanical bender for rebar, pipe, tubing in flats, squares, solids and hollows; 3-1/4" x 6" metal cutting cold saw; 12" x 24" CNC/manual knee mill/ with Alliant Crusader 11 microprocessor control system; hydraulic crimping machine; late model 15.5" x 60" manual engine lathe with coolant pump system and 2.5" through head stock; 1/8" inch x 8' foot hydraulic shear; 8' mechanical press brake with up to 10' tooling.
The equipment is up and running. In fact, Mike has already produced a half dozen products for a few people.
"This week I finished a product for a guy that wanted a hydraulic motorized system to wind up old barbed wire fencing that mounts on a tractor," he said. "This guy had built a smaller one but the wire kept breaking because it was wrapped at too tight of a radius. I helped him build a bigger one. He’s got miles and miles of fence to remove and wind up."
EPS is set up to provide expert advice and the following: design, research and development laboratory with manufacturing capacity; advise on patents; machining; sheet metal; welding and fabrication; custom building and repairs.
Andersen said he invented a couple of products, namely hitches for pulling trailers. His brother bought him out of the family business before he moved with his family to Missouri. Some other inventions and products will be built by the Idaho family company until the time comes for him to grow his business facility in Gallatin, Mr. Andersen continues to seek other businesses that can partner with him to produce and provide many of the products and services locally.
"We just like this area," he said of the decision to move. "We happened to drive through on a family trip five years ago and kind of liked it. It stuck for some reason. We moved here 18 months ago, and we’ve been making friends ever since."
He and his wife, Laura, have six children -- three adult children and three enrolled at Gallatin R-5 High School. They are Justin, McKenzie, and Emily.
"I’ve been in design, research and development my whole life," Andersen said. "I specialize in helping people figure out how to build a product to suit their needs and desires. If I don’t know how, I’ll research it and get people’s feelings and thoughts, go to the drawing board and eventually build it."
Andersen said the company is having a special factory direct sale through the end of July for the Flame Chef at their warehouse for $99.99 (regular price $179.99). It is a 30"x30" fire pit with grill, griddle and rotisserie that can handle 24 pounds of meat. It is built to last and will be a family heirloom.
You are invited to visit Elite Products and Services to see the Flame Chef or see it online at <u>www.epsflamechef.com.</u> You can email Mike Andersen at <u>m@2eps.com</u> or telephone 660-605-0259. You can also visit Andersen Manufacturing on Youtube at: Andersen One Stop Shop and Andersen Solar Cooker.
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