Pena’s Mechanical Surprised by Monthly Honor
The Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff and Ambassadors surprised Adam and Isaac Pena and staff at Pena’s Mechanical as the June Member of the Month. Pena’s Mechanical is located at 405 Carol Ann Lane in Ossian.
Prior to Pena’s Mechanical opening, brothers Adam and Isaac Pena and their father Gil, worked at a local business that closed their doors. All three were out of a job, had to figure out what the next steps would be and what they wanted to do. “Our dad said we are going to try and open a business and make it on our own,” said Isaac. “We started out of the pole barn at our parents house and decided to see what would happen.”
In 2003, Pena’s Mechanical was created. Their previous experience allowed them to stay in the same line of work and acquire the customers they were already serving. Isaac said it wasn’t their intent to start a company but since they already had the contacts from the previous employer, they decided to go out on their own and give it a try.
“We were able to hire several of the guys who also lost their jobs in that first year,” stated Adam. “Things started to fall into place and the jobs started coming. It helped that we already had an established reputation with customers, and we really appreciate that they took a chance on us.”
As growth in business started to take place, they were running out of space and needed to find a building that would fit their needs. “In 2005, we moved into the Industrial Park, built a building, and doubled our employees,” explained Isaac. “We had another expansion in 2007 due to continued growth.”
Every project Pena’s Mechanical does for a customer is unique to their needs. “No two projects are the same because each are very specialized for that customer,” said Adam. “Every project has a different application or unique aspect to get to the end result. Our team creates and builds the products on site and then transports and sets up at the customer location, for however long it will take to get everything installed and/or running.”
Pena’s Mechanical is an industrial service-oriented company that specializes in industrial engineering, industrial project management, fabrication, and engineering design. “Our projects range because it could be anything that a customer needs help with such as designing and installing a mezzanine, fabricating shipping racks, conveyor belts, hot oil units, tanks, welding, powder coating, and so much more,” explained Adam.
“Our customer base is very diversified with companies ranging from food-based, automotive, ethanol, agriculture, and medical industries,” said Isaac. “That diversification helped us survive the ‘08-‘09 recession and even got us through COVID as we were able to sustain our work crew.”
Pena’s Mechanical sets themselves apart by being R-Stamp certified in the state of Indiana. “There are only a handful of businesses that hold this certification and with that we can put ourselves in a position where we have unique skillsets to differentiate from other competitors,” said Adam. “We are a smaller outfit and we have to do these types of specialties to distinguish ourselves. Taking a concept from the initial conception to the finished product with the engineering aspect is also very different from other types of fabrication shops.”
Giving back and supporting the community is important to the Pena family. Adam said that the community helped them get started running this business and it is only fair to give back where they can. “When we were looking for property a group from the Industrial Park provided guidance to encourage us to move out here and we are glad they pushed us. They had confidence in us, as we were not entirely sure we could get traction to make this business happen, but local businesses provided us with opportunities. Those partnerships allowed us to grow this business.”
“It’s not about us as individuals. We are just the vehicle to drive the services for our customers and provide good employment for our staff,” stated Isaac. “Our environment is one of family. We keep our staff size manageable, so we have a personal relationship with our employees and our customers. When you show employees you care, it creates a healthy and productive work environment.”
Pictured in the photo left to right:
Kevin Pritchard, Ruoff Mortgage, Chamber Ambassador
Cory Haviland, Pena’s Mechanical
Kody Kumfer, Forgotten Children Worldwide, Chamber Ambassador
Ryan Searing, Pena’s Mechanical
Casey Robbins, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Chamber Ambassador
Mason Boomershine, Pena’s Mechanical
Keith Muhlenkamp, First Merchants Bank, Chamber Ambassador
Geoff Koteskey, Pena’s Mechanical
Joel Fitz, Pena’s Mechanical
Isaac Pena, Pena’s Mechanical
George Oliver, Pena’s Mechanical
Tom Woodward II, Pena’s Mechanical
Adam Pena, Pena’s Mechanical
Jean Bordner, News-Banner, Chamber Ambassador
Tyler Sills Pena’s Mechanical
Tracey Rice, Pena’s Mechanical
Kelly Gibbs, Pena’s Mechanical
Kyle Murphy, Pena’s Mechanical
Amy Ridenour, Pena’s Mechanical
Alyssa Sponseller, Archbold & Lewis, Chamber Ambassador
Erin Prible, Wells County Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director