Johnson Electric Ready for Take-Off Under New Ownership

Electric motors have been in Steve Korbe's life, all of his life. His dad operated LK-Electric Motor Repair, Hays, for many years. As an 8-year-old, Steve cleaned motor parts for his dad; at 14, he worked on his first 10-horse motor. Until August, he spent the last quarter century in Wichita rewinding aircraft starter generators, working with compressor drive motors and actuators, and producing hybrid electric motors for the military. He left his position as production manager at Advanced Industries to become the new owner of Johnson Electric Inc., 2212 10th Street, bringing more than 40 years of experience to the Great Bend business that has stood for 68 years.

Owning Up - New owners at Johnson Electric Inc. are husband and wife team Jan and Steve Korbe, along with longtime employee Van Gray (center). Also included with Johnson Electric but not pictured is Mark LeRoy.

Through decades of operation, business for Johnson Electric bustled with its fine reputation as a fully equipped motor rewind and repair facility that carried motors for water pumps and service generators and handled motor accessories such as motor controls, switches, pulleys and couplers. For miles around, Johnson was counted upon to serve farm, welding, oil, heating and air, and other large industries. Typically, it also helped the family handyman or shade-tree mechanic who came searching to replace a small switch or other electrical component. Johnson was the one-stop source for all things electrical.

Steve wants to bring the business back to its heyday, and even move the business beyond that scope by producing and servicing motors for the aircraft industry.

"I want to ultimately put families to work here," said Steve. "There is a ton of work out there. Our first priority, though, is to establish with everyone that we can get their work done in a timely manner. I assure them that we can and we will.

"I bought this place looking at the big picture. I want to bring in some aircraft business down the road. Bringing in the hybrid electric stuff, if it's available, that's going to be the big market."

Steve's business intuition appears to be on track. He began operation of the business last August, while his wife, Jan, remained behind to continue her aviation aftermarket job at Raytheon, Wichita. Her Raytheon employment was shortened, however, because Johnson�s business increased quickly and Jan quit her job to work in Great Bend. Business doubled in January from the previous year's figures and February was ahead of last year's target, too. The Korbes anticipate increased work and sales this spring as air conditioning contractors embark on their busy season the next few months.

The Korbes always planned to move closer to Steve's roots and open up shop, but with Johnson Electric for sale last summer, it hurried the process along. The sale of Johnson Electric forced the Korbes to maintain their Mulvane home where their two teenage daughters still live and attend high school and their 20-year-old daughter oversees the household through much of the week. The couple returns to Mulvane every weekend, and three times a week at least one of them travels home to attend their children's events. They plan to maintain their two residences for the next few years, until their youngest daughter attends college.

"It was a big decision, but our children were supportive of it," said Jan. "It would have been better had it happened two years down the road, but in two years, they will be out of the house completely and then we will move here full time."

"Separation is a sacrifice for all of us," added Steve. "We didn't think it would happen this soon when we were making plans to return to this area, but the opportunity was there so we jumped on it. Had we waited, the opportunity wouldn't have been there again. Besides, we have great kids who are responsible. The trust is there and we don't worry about them making the right decisions. Ironically, we're more flexible now with our schedules than we were when we were working in the aviation industry. I was spending 10 to 12 hours on the job, was missing most of their activities, and I was living there."

In Great Bend, the couple lives upstairs at Johnson Electric in a previously built makeshift, two-bedroom apartment, which they are in the process of remodeling. Their close proximity to work and home allows them to accomplish much during the week.

"When we're here, we work tremendous hours," said Steve. "We take a lot of calls during the day, so we get a lot of the work done in the evenings. It's a unique situation - certainly not everyone can do it, but it's the best thing we've ever done."

Rewinder Winding Down After 42 Years at Johnson Van Gray is a rewinder of electric motors by trade, but if he could rewind the clock 40 years earlier, he'd still be right where he is today, at Johnson Electric Inc., 2212 10th Street. He was hired by the original owner, Gene Johnson in 1965 to strip down motors and soon became the company's rewinder of electric motors. Those were days when Lyndon Johnson was president, the Vietnam War had just begun, and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was orchestrating peaceful marches with thousands of people in the South to promote civil rights in America. Mid-1960s history seems like it happened a lifetime ago and amazing technological advancements have occurred through those four decades, but Gray says electric motors haven't changed that much from then to now. "All electric motors are wound about the same," said Gray, "but it takes training to learn the process. You can't just come in off the street and know how to do it. It takes a while to get the hang of how to do it right." Gray said he considered changing jobs during his time at Johnson, but never felt there was a reason to leave. Now at 62, he's finally ready to change gears, so he plans to retire in May. "I'll probably fish and hunt most of the time," said Gray, who is single. "That's what I've always liked to do. Now I can do more of it." In preparation for Gray's retirement, Johnson Electric is searching to hire another rewinder, preferably one with experience. It's hard to imagine the new employee following completely in his predecessor's footsteps. To accomplish Gray's feat for longevity in the workplace, the new hire would have to stay at Johnson Electric until 2049.

Working in the business are two trained servicemen that combined have worked more than 70 years at Johnson Electric. Rewinder Van Gray joined the company 42 years ago and will retire in May. Coming back to the business after a yearlong hiatus, electronics technician Mark LeRoy has 30 years with Johnson Electric. Steve also is aided by his brother, Butch, who now runs LK-Electric and provides some overflow and small motor and generator work to Johnson Electric. The brothers plan to hire a field representative that will serve both businesses, with the small motors and generators coming to Great Bend along with all large motors south of La Crosse.

"We service any brand, all shapes and sizes," said Steve. "It's a diverse company that can do most everything, including the oddball stuff. If I can't figure something out, Mark LeRoy has been here 30 years. He knows this business, he loves this business and he knows this shop. My brother also is a great resource. It's not like we don't have a wealth of information to fix motors. Between us, we have seen it all."

To prepare for increased production and service, the Korbes are in the process of cleaning the shop, hauling away about 100,000 pounds of scrap and 20,000 pounds of trash so far, said Jan. The massive cleanup is the initial step of the plan to increase efficiency and ultimately increase business, said Steve.

"Our number one goal is to get this place running efficiently and get the community support we need in order to be successful," said Steve. "Second, I've got a number of people waiting on me to get this place in shape. If I'm going to get into doing any FAA type of work, we have to have this place ready for inspection."

Johnson Electric has proven to be a huge undertaking for the Korbes, one that comes with daily surprises, they joked. Still, Steve said purchasing the existing business instead of starting his own company was the right decision based upon Johnson's longstanding credibility within industry.

"Johnson Electric has been a part of this community since '38," said Steve. "I couldn't see myself changing the name because everybody out there knows Johnson Electric. It has one heck of a reputation for being in business long term and that counts for an awful lot in this business."