Marshfield's Web-Co Industries makes U.S. military gear

A Marshfield sheltered workshop is putting its good work to good use for the federal government. With the nation on the brink of war with Iraq, Web-Co Custom Industries Inc. in Marshfield, 948 Prairie Lane, has contracts to produce nearly $1 million worth of mosquito nets and rubberized, impermeable aprons for troops preparing to do battle in the Middle East.

The nonprofit company, which employs 81 disabled individuals, is shipping the military supplies to the Middle East and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., said Bonni Bellingroehr, Web-Co general manager.

Web-Co has signed a three-year contract for cot-size mosquito nets valued at $324,000 and a one-year contract for tent-size mosquito nets valued at $567,000.

"That is an item that's in great need right now," Bellingroehr said. "We think in a little town like this we are doing our part to help our servicemen."

The company offered a three-year bid for the larger nets, but the contract is only guaranteed through February 2004.

"With the need, we're pretty sure that they'll pick up the options on those and continue that contract," Bellingroehr said.

Web-Co Custom Industries incorporated in 1977 as a community rehabilitation program to offer vocational training and employment to physically and developmentally disabled individuals. It is governed by a nine-member board and operates under the state's departments of education and labor.

Its primary business is making casket products for companies in Jamaica and Mexico, but it recently has entered into government contracts through the Javits-Wagner-O'Day program, a government training and employment program for people who are blind or have other severe disabilities.

The JWOD program uses the purchasing power of the federal government to buy products and services from participating state and nonprofit agencies that train and employ people with disabilities, according to a government Web site, www.jwod.gov.

The program began in 1938 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed the Wagner-O'Day Act to allow blind individuals to manufacture mops and brooms for purchase by the federal government. Employment opportunities for the disabled grew in 1971 when Sen. Jacob Javits (R-New York) amended the act to include people with severe disabilities and add service functions to the program. There are nearly 40,000 blind or severely disabled Americans taking part in the program, the Web site stated.

Bellingroehr said Web-Co also subcontracts with other area businesses, "either putting their products together or labeling packages. We have two large labeling and packaging lines we run for 3M at our plant. We're pretty diversified. We have to bring the jobs in that match the capabilities of our employees."

The emphasis now is on the military, said Web-Co board president Tray Gray.

"We are supporting our military by providing products and services that I know our employees are very proud and very excited about being able to do. Especially with the impending situation in the Middle East, they look at this and say, We've got a hand in this. We're doing what we can to make sure our boys are taken care of.' They are very proud of that."

While Bellingroehr was instrumental in getting the federal contracts, she will not see them through completion. After 23 years at Web-Co, and the last nine years as general manager, Bellingroehr will retire at the end of the month.

Gary Moss is moving from the sales manager position at Springfield workshop Inc. to serve as Web-Co general manager.