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MDR celebrates 25 years

MDR Manufacturing owners Cheryl and Mike Duberstein.Holly Neumann Photo MDR is located on Industrial Drive in Scandinavia.
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MDR Manufacturing owners Cheryl and Mike Duberstein. Holly Neumann Photo

Machine shop owners describe business in Scandinavia

By Holly Neumann


MDR Manufacturing Inc., a machine shop located in Scandinavia, is celebrating 25 years of business in May.

Owned and operated by Mike and Cheryl Duberstein, they feel that dedication, hard work and a little bit of luck got them to where they are today.

Mike had been working in the engineer department at Trade Winds in Manawa, when the company went out of business.

“I wanted to keep doing what I had been doing and that was machining,” he said. “This was an opportunity to do my own thing.”

With that, MDR Manufacturing was started in Manawa, but the couple quickly learned that they wanted to be closer to home.

“When a machine breaks in the middle of the night and you are on your own, home is the best place to be,” Mike said.

Closer to home
They began looking for a new location in Scandinavia but were struggling to find something suitable. Just when nothing seemed to be panning out, Lee Johnson, a family friend, stepped in to give them a hand..

“He believed in us,” said Cheryl. “He told us we could buy the land here and went above and beyond for us to make this happen when no one else would. We owe a lot to Lee. Because of him, we are able to work, live and provide jobs in the community we grew up in.”

In 2001, the company made its move.

“It feels good that people can come to Scandinavia and not only get a job here but make a decent living,” said Mike. “In a sense, we were giving back to the community.”

“Scandinavia is a small town,” added Cheryl. “Being able to provide jobs here is a good feeling.”

Currently, MDR Manufacturing has eight full-time positions.

“We are an employee friendly business,” he said. “I want my employees to know that we work together. That the management can work side by side with the people on the floor.”

“We employ families here,” added Cheryl. “This is a big deal and part of what makes us special. A small business in a small town is not always easy to maintain.”

Mike agrees.

“It is hard to compete with large companies from overseas,” he said. “Being small helps because we don’t get into high volume things that they are after.”

What machine shops do
After 25 years in business, the couple finds that people still do not understand what they do.

“Machine shops are usually buried in industrial parks and no one goes to them like a flower shop or gift shop,” said Cheryl. “What we do is turn brass, steel and aluminum into various parts. Castings also get sent in and made into different parts as well.”

These parts are then used for a variety of equipment such a farm machinery and even medical equipment.

“It’s nice to take a blank piece of metal and turn it into something useful,” said Mike. “Not everyone can do that.”

MDR will be hosting a community celebration from 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, in honor of their anniversary. Everyone is encouraged to come out and learn more about the company. Cupcakes and refreshments will be served.

MDR is located at 185 Industrial Park Drive in Scandinavia.

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