Lincoln Center Manufacturing managers (left to right) Michelle Mounts, Eric Howell and Ryan Howell stand by the prototype container restroom, which was shipped to Nationwide Children’s Hospital last week to be used during renovations. Wiring and connections at the left show how the restrooms have water and electricity available for hand washing and air conditioning.
Alberta Stojkovic | AIM Media Midwest
Last week, Lincoln Center Manufacturing LLC in Fulton completed its prototype container restroom, which was shipped to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus for use at its construction site.
This new type of portable restroom is ideal for construction companies to use at construction sites, and Lincoln Center has already contracted nine to go to facilities at Intel, Amazon and Children’s Hospital.
Lincoln Center manager Eric Howell said the company feels this new type of portable restroom is the “way of the future.” It was also noted the container restrooms are ideal for construction companies to use for both long-term and short-term sites, and they are far superior to the portable toilets currently used.
Howell said large construction companies like Turner Construction with 15 sites around Columbus are enthusiastic about having these restrooms on sites. They feature running water to wash hands, flush toilets, air conditioning for summer and heat in winter months.
To make these restrooms, the company uses stainless steel shipping containers, which the Chinese use to ship their goods to the U.S. There are thousands of these containers all over the United States because it is cheaper to leave them here, rather than shipping them back to China. Lincoln Center is able to purchase these containers and recycle them for several purposes. The latest opportunity the company saw was for portable restrooms.
Another advantage for Lincoln Center is that its nearest competitor making these restrooms from recycled containers is a company in Texas. Howell added the quality of the Texas company is “just not the same” as Lincoln Center and is made with less quality.
In addition to using the restrooms at construction sites, Howell sees the possibility of offering the restrooms for fairs, festivals, ball fields, and at other events and occasions. The restrooms can be connected to electric and water, and they are serviced by Got 2 Go, which also markets this product for Lincoln Center.
Along with the new product line, Lincoln Center continues manufacturing vacuum trucks, doing fabrication repairs, parts for military, mounting lifts on Mack trucks for containers, and manufacturing fire training facilities. The company’s manufacturing includes engineering, laser cutting, shear cutting, break bending, welding, plate rolling, machining and blasting/painting.
Quality is something Howell, his brother Ryan Howell, and cousin Michelle Howell Mounts, who is operations manager, say is of primary importance to their business. The brothers credit the owners, Rich and Bob Howell, who are their parents, for their insistence on high standards for the 28 years the company has been in existence.
The trio are appreciative of the guidance from their parents in both advice and starting them with the equipment and facilities for Lincoln Center Manufacturing. The business moved from Marengo three years ago and started with six employees. It now has 32 employees and continues to add personnel as it adds services and product lines.
Mounts said the company uses both Tri-Rivers and the Delaware Area Career Center in recruiting employees. Both career centers also use Lincoln Center in instructing their students and in working there for experience and knowledge in the industry.
Welder Makenna Mollett, 19, said she is very thankful for her work at Lincoln Center. She looks at her work as a welder as more than a job. She said she truly enjoys welding and received her certifications in welding through Tri-Rivers. She also likes working for the company for a “very good” hourly wage.
With their parents’ advice, Ryan Howell said they have had an advantage in seeing what needs kept their industry going in tough economic times. They learned the importance of shifting with the times, even after learning the business on old equipment.
“We learned cutting (steel) the old hand-cutting way. Now, we can really appreciate how accurate and detailed it can be with laser cutting,” Ryan Howell said.
The Howells and Mounts see themselves as the newest generation preserving the value of their family business.
“We have used many local resources,” said Mounts. “And our parents have helped with business advice. We want to follow them being innovative as we shift with the times.”
Alberta Stojkovic is a correspondent for The Morrow County Sentinel. She can be reached at [email protected].
