Turblex Inc. serves clients throughout North America

Manufacturing large, single-stage turbo compressors, centrifugal fans, blowers, instrumentation and control panels used in wastewater treatment plants isn't exactly glamorous work. Still, when city officials in large municipalities like Las Vegas, need equipment for their wastewater treatment plants, they call Guy Mace at Turblex Inc. in Springfield.

Turblex sells a wide range of wastewater treatment equipment that's used by municipalities in the United States, Canada and Mexico through its international network of 40 independent sales agents. The company, which was founded in 1989, en-joys an outstanding national and international reputation.

However, many local businesspeople were unfamiliar with Turblex until the company was nominated for the 2001 Manufacturer of the Year award, which is presented annually by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

Although Turblex didn't win the award, it has achieved first-place status with its business partner AG Khnle, Kopp and Kausch in Frankenthal, Ger-many. According to Mace, of the five subsidiary companies owned by AG Khnle, Kopp and Kausch, Turblex is the most profitable.

Mace founded Turblex in 1989 in partnership with HV-Turbo in Helsingor, Denmark, which was later acquired by AG Khnle, Kopp and Kausch. At the time, representatives from HV-Turbo were looking for someone who could serve as their North American partner, and Mace fit the bill.

A chemical engineer, Mace had more than 30 years of manufacturing experience, and he once served as the general manager for a large manufacturing company in Salt Lake City.

In 1980, Mace left the company, and he, his wife and their five children relocated to Springfield. Later that same year he founded Mace Indus-tries Inc., which consisted of a manufacturing facility at 1635 W. Walnut and Semblex Co. Semblex manufactured chemical feed equipment as well as small air blowers and compressors.

Semblex was successful, and within a few years, Mace began looking for ways to expand. Then he learned HV-Turbo was looking for a North American partner.

At the time, 23 other companies were courting HV-Turbo. Undeterred by the competition, Mace threw his hat into the ring.

When he met with HV-Tur-bo's representatives, he stressed his strengths. He had a strong engineering background and an experienced engineering staff. He had knowledge of the manufacturing process because Sem-blex manufactured small air compressors and blowers, and he had an existing network of sales and industry contacts. In addition, his plant in Springfield was located near the geographic center of the United States, which would help reduce shipping costs.

About the only thing Mace lacked was cash. As luck would have it, however, HV-Turbo was willing to provide Mace with the working capital he needed, and Turblex was born.

In addition to engineering, manufacturing and selling equipment, Turblex provides re-pair services. Mace estimated that he stocks more than $1 million worth of parts, which are used when making repairs.

"You never know what's go-ing to break or malfunction, so I have to keep one of everything on hand," he said. "The equipment we sell and service can't be down for very long, and we employ five full-time servicemen who are ready to travel to a client's site at a moment's notice."

In 1998, Mace sold Semblex Co. and its product lines to Capital Controls Co. in Colmar, Penn., which is a subsidiary of Severn Trent in Great Britain. Three years later, in the summer of 2001, he repurchased several product lines from Capital Con-trols, including the static tube aerator (used for wastewater aeration) and positive displacement blower products, and a new company the Ventuse Co. was formed. Ventuse continues to design and manufacture static tube aerators, positive displacement blowers and appurtenances, and it shares facilities with Turblex.

Manufacturing small and large turbo compressors, aerators, centrifugal fans and blowers has given Mace a competitive edge and helped him increase business.

When a small municipality outgrows the equipment it purchases from Ventuse, Mace can sell them larger and more powerful equipment manufactured by Turblex.

In addition to running Turblex and Ventuse, Mace has ownership in two other businesses, yTen Business Solutions and Stone Lion Trading Co., which are managed by his son-in-law Darrell Henley. yTen Business Solutions provides marketing, Web site design and Web hosting services to small- and medium-sized retail, manufacturing and service businesses around the country.

Stone Lion Trading Co., an antique store that was formerly located in Ozark, now sells merchandise through its Web site and the online auction house E-Bay.

Mace himself is an antique buff, and he enjoys collecting antique cars, ethnographic artifacts and edged weapons. Recently, while traveling abroad, he purchased a large, antique, marble lion statue and had it shipped back to Springfield, where it was restored. Once the restoration process was complete, he donated the statue to the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, which placed it just outside the lions' exhibit.