Although Kenneth W. Hall Sr., president of Cencast Advanced Casting Technologies, doesn't know the exact role that the former school will play in his company, he does knows that Herndon and Rawlins County will play a significant part in his company's very near future.
Hall told the 70-or-so people gathered for a ceremony Monday morning, "If everything jells the way I think it will, it's really going to be fantastic. And Rawlins County will be part of it."
Hall handed a $20,000 check -- a down payment on the school building -- to Rawlins County USD 105 School Superintendent Mark Wolters during a presentation in the school's gym.
The headquarters for Cencast -- which manufactures medical implants -- are in Milwaukie, Ore., and ground will be broken later this month on a new production facility about 20 miles south of Portland.
The future looks very bright for that facility, Hall said, as the company has the "most powerful person in the industry" writing specifications for its implants and doing research and development, and it has hired the best salesman in the industry.
Hall himself has 46 years in the metals industry, and his sons, Ken Jr. and Tim, each have 20 years in the medical industry. The elder Hall is a native of Elwood, graduating from Elwood High School in 1949. He attended Scottsbluff Junior College, and remembers well, he said Monday morning, competing against McCook Junior College athletes in football and track.
"With these powerful forces behind us, we're going to be overwhelmed in Portland," Hall said with a grin. "We'll be looking at Herndon to fill in the gaps in production. "Hall said the Herndon school may be used to house some of the production lines for the implants, or it may be used for finishing operations. "We're too young," he said of the 16-month-old company, to know right now how the Herndon school will fit in best.
Cencast reproduces "any joint that moves," Hall said -- knuckles, toes, wrists, hips, knees, shoulders. He explained the process: A computer generates a wax replica of a joint and the wax is encased in ceramic. The ceramic hardens and the wax is melted out -- it's called the "lost wax" process -- leaving a ceramic shell. The cavity is filled then with either stainless steel, or, with more research and development, titanium.
Hall admitted that the medical implant industry has growing competition overseas, but, he said, Cencast will have the advantage of customer service and less time (and no customs) between an order and delivery.
Herndon and Rawlins County residents are excited about the job opportunities offered by the new facility, although Hall admitted he's not sure right now how many jobs will be created. "I'd like to say a lot," he said, saying that the facility will start with two or three, and then grow steadily.
Wolters called the plant, "good news for the entire area." Herndon Chamber of Commerce Director Peach Beims told Hall, "We hope for much success for years to come."
Pattie Wolters, president of the USD 105 school board, said it was "quite a process" to get Cencast to Herndon.
Dave Rose of Salina, Kan., president of MidWest e Services Inc., was the listing agent for the school on e-bay. Rose told those gathered in the gym that the "school for sale" site was visited 9,602 times, and was a "watch" item for 146 viewers. Ultimately, there were 32 very interested parties, Rose said. "I was tickled to share the positive aspects about Herndon and Northwest Kansas with the world," he said.
Chris Sramek, director of Rawlins County's economic development group, said Cencast's inquiry about the Herndon location floated to the top because of the company's family involvement.
Atwood Mayor Betty Mickey said she was excited for Cencast. "We're here to help you make your business successful," she said. "You'll find a wonderful work ethic in the Midwest."
Mark Wolters said that Herndon and Rawlins County were looking for an opportunity that would make the best of the school facility, and benefit the community and the county for the long haul.
Wolters said that everyone involved -- from residents, to school, community and county officials and the real estate agent -- "helped turn a school closing into a positive for the community."