Fargo Manufacturing and Unique Checkout Systems hosted a belated ribbon cutting at their new home in Franklin Park last month.
“We got this building in May of 2015, and we slowly transitioned out of our old location, which was at near 14th Street and Kostner Avenue in Chicago,” said David Maloy, the president and CEO of both Fargo Manufacturing and Unique Checkout Systems. “We did a lot of work to the building before we moved in, but overall it was a good platform for us to move into, and I really liked the owner.”
Maloy acquired the Fargo and Unique in 2012 after more than seven years as an employee and is the third owner of the combined companies. He said Fargo was first established in 1947 as a sheet metal fabrication and metal piece part production shop that fabricated custom parts for other businesses. By the early 1980s, Fargo Manufacturing started manufacturing its own product line and received approval from the FAA for its 21-gallon auxiliary fuel systems, which was how the company launched itself into the aerospace industry.
“Essentially, the company evolved into having its own product lines instead of doing piecemeal work for other companies,” said Maloy.
He said among reasons for the move was that the old location on Chicago’s west side wasn’t the greatest safety-wise and by moving to Franklin Park he not only shortened his commute home but also gained access to the village’s considerable manufacturing community.
“When I found this building, it was in proximity to a lot of other people who do stuff we can use,” he said. “So for instance, the guy across the street, we use for woodworking. There’s also guy two doors down we can use for welding if we have some overflow work. So the neighbors are real nice, and I was happy with the amount of manufacturing on my block that can assist my businesses. I mean we do everything here in house, but if we get busy or something I can send out some pieces across the street and still keep an eye on them.”
Fargo and Unique’s new facility at 2312 N. 17th Ave. is about 9,000 square feet and was previously used by a general contractor. Maloy said the new work area was redesigned to Federal Aviation Authority standards, and over time they moved their equipment from their Chicago location to the new one in Franklin Park. This meant Maloy was overseeing work done at both facilities until the move was fully completed in January 2016.
“I think we probably worked with [Maloy] about a year ago. We started the process of moving him to Franklin Park and he rehabbed the whole inside of the site and moved his whole operation there,” said John P. Schneider, the village’s director of economic development. He said working with businesses like this helps keep his job interesting because of the type of manufacturing Fargo does.
“The thing for me is you meet so many types of companies and people, and this is like the last thing most people realize is being manufactured in Franklin Park,” Schneider said. “And the place is just immaculate. [Maloy] said he spends so much time at his job, so it really is like a second home for him and his family.”
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Fargo manufactures several products, including auxiliary fuel systems for the MD500 and MD900 helicopter, cargo pods, and starter/generator cooling kits for the Hughes 369 and the MD500. Fargo’s customers include helicopter companies, government agencies, such as the Drug Enforcement Agency and U.S. Border Patrol, as well as many third-party helicopter part suppliers.
To expand its product line outside of the aerospace industry, Fargo acquired Unique Checkout Systems in 1986. Already a leader in the checkout counter market, the company came with an established product line and customer base, so a few minor product improvements were made, but the core design was kept the same.
“At one time, Unique did a lot of high-volume work, with hundreds of stores being outfitted with our checkout counters,” Maloy said. The product is made with quality materials designed to last, with Maloy saying many stores still use their original Unique checkout counters from the 1980s.
Maloy said he’s typically the person who deals with customers, and both Fargo and Unique specialize in custom and made-to-order designs.
“So it’s not a big deal for us to do reverse configurations, add a shelf here and there. We try to stay competitive with everyone by doing custom stuff,” said Maloy. “And we’re always interested in looking at new, custom projects, not just our existing product lines.”
Alex V. Hernandez is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.