CLEVELAND, Ohio — Jergens Inc. President and CEO Jack Schron has led the charge for the past 30 years.
His father and grandfather started the Cleveland-based company in 1942.
Among their products is a special high-end screwdriver used to build medical devices like ventilators, an obvious essential need during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Jergens Inc. has been a manufacturing staple in Northeast Ohio since 1942
- The company was deemed essential during the coronavirus pandemic and produces a high-end screwdriver used for ventilators
- The CEO says Ohio leaders need to increase manufacturing capabilities moving forward
What You Need To Know
“All of a sudden, in the last six to eight weeks, we've just had and explosion of positive need for our screwdrivers and we get calls at the end of the day and they need 25, 30, 50, 100, 150 tools the next morning to be installing ventilations,” said Schron.
And while that end of the business has been booming, the lack of auto, farming, machine tools, and aerospace equipment has hurt Jergens' bottom line.
Schron says the experience has made him realize the need for more American-made products.
“Sometimes that one door opening up is an awakening saying, would I pay an extra 10 bucks for that item to have it say “Made in the USA” brand on it? Yeah, I think so,” said Schron.
The retired Lieutenant Colonel U.S. Army Veteran says being a family company, all 263 employees are critical to the operation.
Many workers volunteered to change shifts to adapt to the new 24-hour production schedule and meet social distancing requirements.
Schron offers perks at work, like lottery tickets or discount coupons.
He even dug out some vintage motivation posters that his father once hung in the facility during World War II, to remind his team of the adversary we’re all facing.
“We had the Norman Rockwell war bonds posters, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, all those things, it's four posters. I said, in 1942 we were fighting an enemy, we are now fighting an invisible enemy,” said Schron.
Schron says he believes Ohio has an advantage over many states when it comes to manufacturing possibilities moving forward.
And he hopes state leaders take notice.
“We ought to just put a big stake in the ground and say, hey governor, this is the manufacturing headquarters for the entire United States. Yeah, California is ok, and Texas is ok, they're number one and two, but number three, we're gonna be on your tail from here on out,” said Schron.