Solid 2005 brings 65 jobs to Paul Mueller Co.

The Springfield-based steel manufacturer announced Monday it has immediate openings for 59 workers at its local operation and six in field construction.

Of the 59 local positions, 50 are for welders, grinders and production workers. The additional nine slots are in sales, project management and design. Paul Mueller employs approximately 800 locally.

After finishing the year with a $14 million swing on net income, CEO and President Matt Detelich said the company is more prepared than ever to accommodate the always-shifting steel market.

“Across the board, when it comes to order entries, shipment and performance, all of our segments contributed to 2005,” he said. “The market is improving in the areas we are servicing, and our capabilities are improving.”

According to company figures released Feb. 24, 2005 net income was $6.6 million, compared to a loss of $8.6 million in 2004. Net sales were $138.1 million, an increase of 22 percent from $112.9 million last year.

Quarterly sales were $39.5 million, compared to $35.3 million in fourth-quarter 2004. Quarterly earnings per diluted share were $3.31, up from 69 cents the same quarter last year.

Company officials cite a strong starting backlog and a 9.5 percent increase in order entry as factors in the year’s results. But a renewed emphasis on efficiency – and the employees’ dedication to that mission – was what really pushed the company’s year-end numbers, Detelich said.

“We really focused on, ‘What is the hurdle stopping us from shipping (a product) early or shipping it when we planned to ship it?’” he said. “We made project management a global effort within the company rather than being fragmented.”

That move has freed up capacity in preparation for this year’s opportunities, Detelich said.

But expedited shipping, coupled with increased orders, has nearly depleted the company’s backlog, currently at $37 million and down 20 percent from December 2004. The reduced backlog has resulted in slow first-quarter sales, but Detelich said he expects the second and third quarters to pick up as more orders are shipped and recorded as sales.