New Ulm Facility Turns 10!

August 1, 2022 By: New Ulm Journal Article

SpecSys, Inc. President Tallen Wald stands with some of the brand new concrete mixer trucks the plant is building.

After a Decade, SpecSys can Make Anything!

SpecSys celebrates 10 years in New Ulm this month and held an open house last Wednesday to honor the occasion. Guests took a guided tour of the plant with SpecSys staff and learned the history of the company. SpecSys President Tallen Wald said the company was founded 25 years ago in Montevideo. At first, the company was only an engineering firm but quickly expanded into manufacturing. Wald explained the jump to manufacturing began after engineering clients commented, “It would be nice if you build the things you design.” The company decided to try manufacturing. Wald said manufacturing started small with an operation in Granite Falls. Work expanded and soon the SpecSys was seeking additional building locations.

In 2012, the company began operating in New Ulm. Wald said New Ulm was chosen because it was the right environment with the necessary space and a strong pool of employees. Over the last 10 years, SpecSys of New Ulm has handled a variety of contract work. The company manufactures equipment based on a specific order. This means employees are working on different products from year to year. One year it could be soil compactors or dump trucks. Currently, SpecSys has contracts with locomotive companies. “If it is made of metal or has a diesel engine, we can build it,” Wald said.

This year SpecSys has expanded again. In addition to ongoing contract work, the company is now manufacturing its own concrete mixer trucks. The concrete trucks are SpecSys’s first permanent product owned and manufactured in-house. It is an exciting time for the company as there is a big demand for concrete mixer trucks. In the first year, SpecSys built 50 concrete trucks. It takes roughly a week to assemble the vehicles in the New Ulm plant.

Like many industries, supply chain issues plagued SpecSys. There was a struggle to get a truck chassis in on time with the wait time as long as six months. Fortunately, the delays have been resolved. Wald said they are fully stocked with chassis. He anticipates over 100 concrete trucks will be assembled within the next year and even more after. The 10 years have proven to be a great fit. Wald said the company is committed to remaining in New Ulm. There are currently 50 employees working at SpecSys New Ulm, in a variety of departments. SpecSys is looking to expand its workforce. “We would take on 30 additional people tomorrow if they showed up,” Wald said.

To read the original article: https://www.nujournal.com/news/monday-business/2022/08/01/after-decade-specsyc-can-make-anything/