Trusted Solutions Group in Ossian Receives June Recognition
The Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff and Ambassadors surprised Trusted Solutions Group, located at 1625 Baker Drive in Ossian, as the June Member of the Month. The family-owned business started in 1991 with three employees, one truck and two customers. Today, owners Mike and Cheryl Gerber and Lane Gerber employ 70 employees operating at multiple locations totaling 75,000 square feet of space.
Mike and Cheryl Gerber started the business in Bluffton producing bars and rails for a furniture company out of Grabill. “We had two customers in 1991 and they are still customers today,” explained Mike. “The business continued to grow and progress very quickly starting in 1994 and we kept running out of space and decided to move to the Ossian Industrial Park.”
As the business grew, employees hired, square footage added, and additional services were customized the name changed in 1994 to Thermtron or TMI, in 2002 to Trusted Manufacturing, and then in 2007 to Trusted Solutions Group. Today, this thriving business operation with multiple locations, and growing list of customers includes companies representing the transportation, automation, contract furniture, food processing and energy product industries —to name just a few.
Currently the business is run and operated by second generation, Lane Gerber. “Wells County has been our home-town and the family and community ties are important to us and the people of this community are great,” stated Lane.
Lane continues to explain that the major focus has been the employees and improving their lives which affects the community and their quality of life efforts. “We support our community through the people that work at our company and our efforts to keep them employed. We want to mentor and counsel them personally and professionally because they spend a lot of time here and we want them to want to be present and work hard. They are our family and we are committed to our family.”
Mike and Cheryl learned from the beginning that relationships are important “We have helped a lot of people over the years whether it was through a work release program or giving people chances, not judging their past, but looking forward to their future,” said Mike.
Lane continued to explain, “we give everyone more than a fair chance to succeed and provide opportunities for their success and those that take a hold of that opportunity, do well at Trusted Solutions Group.”
“Overall, the company belongs to God and God is in control; second, people that work with us have allowed the business to grow and succeed. We are continuing to hire skilled trades and general labor workers who are willing to work and learn and be paid above average,” concluded Lane.
Photo includes the Trusted Solutions Group employees, Chamber Ambassadors, and Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff.
