Company was named "Outstanding Business" in 2009
RAPID RIVER -- With so many reports of doom and gloom in the U.P.'s business world, we're pleased to announce that one Rapid River company is on the fiscal rebound.
Creative Composites has a possible deal in the works with the United States Military that could bring cash and jobs to the area.
In 2009, the company was named an "Outstanding Business" by Operation Action U.P. Owner, Brad McPhee, says it's because his business is up, while so many other companies are suffering.
"The programs that we've been working on over the past five, six years have ramped up, and it just sort of happened to be at a time where all the other businesses, or most of the businesses in the area, are having a recession," says McPhee.
Creative Composites engineers, prototypes, and manufactures products using strong, light-weight composite materials, usually to replace their heavier steel counterparts. A six inch by eight inch chunk of ballistic composite is one-third the weight, but three times the strength of a six inch by eight inch chunk of steel.
The company has grown tremendously since its 1994 inception. McPhee now has 34 employees, and they all live just a few miles from work. He prides himself on hiring local people, and the employees appreciate it.
"Keep the money in the area; keep the people working," says Hank Auge, a quality inspector who's worked there for about three years.
Right now, Creative Composites is in a sort of a holding pattern. They're developing a product for the United States Marine Corps that could one day be used on an "amphibious assault vehicle." If McPhee gets the job, his company will be growing.
"Those jobs would require a substantial amount of employees, and we're looking at 10-15 year production runs. But once again, that's really out of our hands, and those decisions are going to be made at the Department of Defense level," McPhee says.
Sales in 2009 were three times better than their previous best year, and McPhee sees that trend continuing in 2010.
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