Hired Hand: A local success story

Hired Hand founder Grant Crider jokes with an employee as he leads the 70-plus attendees of the 2001 Farm-City Industry Tour through the Bremen facility.	While Cullman County is home to many successful industries, few can claim such inauspicious beginnings as the family-owned and operated Hired Hand Manufacturing and its sister companies Hired Hand Green and RollSeal, Inc. Located in rural Bremen, near the western border of Cullman County, the campus that is home to two of the three companies springs from the lush pastureland like a huge sprawling organism, huge concrete and steel buildings flanked by a large body of water. In the middle of the industrial complex, at its heart, lies a family residence, seeming at first glance to be somewhat out of place. It's only natural, though, as the dwelling belongs to the Criders, the family behind the homegrown phenomenon that is Hired Hand.
The company was founded in 1978 by family patriarch Grant Crider. Crider, like many others in Cullman County, raised poultry in addition to working a full-time job. He developed and patented his first product, the Curt-O-Matic, an emergency ventilation system for chicken houses, and began selling them locally to other farmers.
Eventually, the Curt-O-Matic was refined and Hired Hand's product line expanded to include other agribusiness products: heaters, fans, automatic curtain machines, alarm systems and more. Hired Hand branched out and its coverage expanded to most of the southeast United States. In 1996, two offshoot companies were formed to handle the increased business. RollSeal, Inc. was formed to manufacture the patented sealable curtain created at Hired Hand; and Hired Hand Green, where greenhouse structures are manufactured. Recently, Hired Hand was the subject of the 2001 Farm-City Industry Tour, part of the annual event that celebrates the interdependence of the agricultural and industrial sectors. Over 70 people, including local industry and business leaders as well as representatives of both City and County Economic Development Offices and members of the Cullman County Extension Office were in attendance.	Crider watches the assembly of the second generation of Hired Hand's "cash cow", the Curt-O-Matic. The emergency ventilation system was the first product manufactured by Hired Hand.
Grant Crider himself lead the tour through the three facilities, despite having now turned the management of the companies over to his sons, Shawn, Tony and Brett. Crider was enthusiastic and proud as he took the large group through the manufacturing facilities, stopping at each point of interest and beaming like a joyous parent at the success of a child. Understandable, considering that the small company that started in his garage now boasts 300 domestic customers and 50 international customers.
Crider shows the tour group the inner workings of a heater manufactured by Hired Hand.	During the tour, Crider often stopped and spoke to employees, whom he would introduce to the group. It is no stretch to imagine that he knows each and every one of the 240 employees by name. The company has an impressive design and engineering department in addition to rows upon rows of machinists and laborers who fabricate and assemble each of the company's 200 products. Crider joked that many people are surprised by the fact that his company employs engineers and electronics specialists, who assemble the "brains" of the Hired Hand products and hardwire them with code, as many do not realize such high technology lies within products that are geared toward the agribusiness industry.
In addition to the Bremen manufacturing facilities, Hired Hand has a plant in Jasper, Ala., and sales and service offices in seven states. Although its products were almost exclusively aimed at the poultry industry, Crider's companies now also market to the dairy industry and others. Even the garden centers of a major retail chain are now coming to Hired Hand and Hired Hand Green for products.
"Wal-Mart is our number one customer," Crider said, explaining the retail giant's need for the RollSeal curtain and other products. "Right now, though, we're selling more doors in the poultry market than in the industrial market. "We expect that to change." Despite the companies' incredible success story, however, the facilities still have a feel of a small, family-owned operation, as evidenced by Crider's camaraderie with the employees. One suspects that Grant Crider would have it no other way. For more information on Hired Hand, Hired Hand Green or RollSeal, check out their respective websites at www.hired-hand.com, www.hhgreen.com, and www.rollseal.net.	Crider showcases the automatic curtain made by RollSeal, Inc.
The exterior of the Hired Hand and RollSeal facilities.	Grant Crider shows off several control panels manufactured by Hired Hand.