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Benner-Nawman produces final phone booths, makes transition
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| Display of Benner-Nawman products |
Friday (Sept. 30) marked the end of a 55-year long history as Benner-Nawman manufactured its last telephone booths.
On Monday (Oct. 3), the final order of 60 booths was placed into two 40-foot containers for its journey to Trinidad and Tobago.
According to Benner-Nawman President Ed Kientz, the decline of the telephone booth business began with the deregulation of the telephone industry. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 deregulated the pay phone business to the point where its profitability was sharply diminished, and the need for the booths declined.
"Globally, telephones are still a growing business with over 60 percent of the world's population having yet to make their first phone call," said Ed Kientz. "In the developing world the telephone business is growing, but the technology has changed favoring the development of wireless systems. Unfortunately people with cell phones don't need phone booths."
As it has been phasing out its original product line, Benner- Nawman has been seeking new specialty manufacturing and distribution opportunities - keeping it a profitable company and a stable employer for Wickenburg.
"Manufacturing in the United States is a very difficult challenge with our relatively high labor costs," said Ed Kientz. "We are unable to compete with countries like China for large runs of standardized items, but we are able to compete in niche markets with small runs requiring customization and short turn-around time."
Presently, the Benner-Nawman Fabricator Division is producing a line of work surface tops and parts for the office furniture industry, including customers like Herman Miller. It produces the tops to order on a sophisticated computer lathe and has them available on quick notice for use as conference tables and desk tops.
Benner-Nawman is also a master distributor for the Diamond brand of specialty construction tools used in the concrete and masonry markets. Those include rebar cutters and benders.
As a complement to the Diamond tools, Benner-Nawman distributes a line of high-quality professional-grade specialty hand tools.
One of their more recent product lines includes service boxes for the outsides of residential and commercial buildings. With so many different services coming to the home including fiber optics, electricity, cable, telephone, and satellite connections, there is an increasing need for a single service box to hide the various cables and connections.
Benner-Nawman is pioneering the production of such a unit that is receiving good acceptance with the construction and architectural professions.
Small-run custom manufacturing has also enabled Benner-Nawman to team up with RotorCraft Enterprises of Wickenburg to produce the enclosures and assist in the assembly of that company's SmartPac line of aircraft starting equipment.
In 1950, the Pacific Telephone Company approached Rollie Nawman to construct a glass and aluminum booth that would withstand the abuse of the public, weather, and vandals. Nawman rose to the occasion and over the 55 years shipped more than 600,000 telephone booths all over the world. In its prime, the company employed more than 100 workers and was the second largest producer of telephone booths in the world.
Due to the strong encouragement of the Wickenburg business community with a special push by the late George Wellik, Benner-Nawman moved its production and sales facilities to Wickenburg in 1968. Since then, it continued to train and employ a highly skilled production workforce.
Daughter of the founder and one of the oldest living shareholders, Barbara Kientz still has an active interest in the company and especially its loyalty to the people of Wickenburg.
"While I am saddened to see the telephone business come to an end, I am excited that the company remains strong and continues to be an important employer for my boys and so many wonderful people in Wickenburg," she said.
Friday might have marked the end of an historic era for Benner-Nawman, but it also marks the continuation of innovation and product development in new areas.