Welcome to Mountz Alabama
In February 1968 Lorna and Don Mountz purchased 40 acres of her family’s farm in Foley, Alabama. The site originally consisted of a creek (headwaters of the Magnolia River), a swamp, pine trees and cleared farmland. For the first ten or twelve years the land remained a farm and the cleared ground was rented to a neighbor. The property was developing a pecan orchard and a hay farming business.
In 1981 the Board of Directors at Mountz expressed the idea of an eastern expansion. Many places were considered, but common sense prevailed. We opted to build upon the land that we already owned in Alabama. A new branch operation was imperative for growth into other regions of the United States as overnight freight was in its infancy.
Because a natural swamp bordered the property being developed, creating a one and a-half acre pond, both for irrigation and fish propagation was an ecological solution in harmony with the beautiful rural landscape. Throughout the years, lots of enjoyment and fun has occurred with catching bream and bass from the pond. It also served as irrigation for the farm.
In June 1984, Mountz Tools opened in Foley and soon thereafter our first employees were added for that facility. Kathy McFadden was hired to manage commercial operations and Ryan Anderson and Billy Murphy were recruited to run the farm and grounds. In September, a formal opening was held with many family members, employees, customers, construction crew workers and dignitaries, including the Mayor of Foley at that time, were in attendance for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Later on, we employed Mr. Ken Kollar as a salesman and future general manager of the company, which operated separately from Mountz, Inc. of California.
For some five or six years Mountz Tools grew on its own with guidance from of Don and Lorna Mountz. By 1991, it became apparent that the two companies were growing and developing at cross-purposes. In September of that year, Mountz Tools in Alabama was merged into Mountz, Inc., a California corporation.
As the merged companies progressed, Silicon Valley was enjoying one of its boom phases and the cost of labor was accelerating rapidly. In 2001, it was challenging and difficult to find any qualified help to hire. The decision was made to expand at the Alabama facility by adding a second building. It would serve as the worldwide distribution center for Mountz. A civil engineer was hired to oversee the site improvements that were necessary for the second building. It resulted in an expanding the road pavement, to fulfill the needs of additional parking, as well as providing ample turning areas for commercial trucks to enter, unload and depart the premises.
Adrian Johnson Construction Company from Fairhope Alabama, built the new Mountz building. When it was completed in 2002, Brad Mountz, President & CEO, hired UPS Logistics Services to design the internal warehouse layout and process. A modern warehousing management system was implemented, which improved the receiving, stocking, picking and shipping process.
The Alabama facility also features a state-of-the-art calibration lab and repair facility. Mountz Inc. features an experienced calibration and repair staff and our trained technicians can calibrate and repair most any tool. Mountz, known to the industry as the nation’s premier torque tool supplier, is an ISO 9001 registered and ISO 17025 accredited company .
Today the Mountz facility in Foley, Alabama is well known for offering excellent service and timely shipments to all 50 States and over 67 international countries. Look for the Mountz hexagon logo – it’s a stamp for quality tools, service and knowledge in the field of torque control.
Stay tuned for more of the stories behind Mountz…. click here to go to all the Mountz 50 Year Anniversary blog posts.
Don Mountz
Chairman of the Board/Founder
Mountz Inc.
