Born nine minutes before Christmas, Loren (or Digger as many friends, employees, and customers know him), Graber has always considered himself a very fortunate and blessed person. Digger was a fifth generation farmer and by the age of 7 began to help farm the same land his Great-Great Grandfather did before him. This deep rooted sense of family pride, hard work ethic, and a strong moral fortitude have been the backbone and guiding force for Digger on both a personal and business level.

When Digger was growing up, the stigma of being smaller than the other boys and hearing them call him "runt" only proved to heighten the young mans will to succeed and motivate him to adopt the philosophy of never giving up. This drive and motivation, along with Digger's strong commitment to God and family, has given him the strength to succeed and earned him the respect and admiration of those who know him.

Digger Specialties first began as a custom bending process developed by Digger for vinyl frames for various furniture applications, such as lawn furniture and tents. It didn't take long for word to spread that Digger did a good job bending vinyl (also known as Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC). A vinyl fence marketing firm asked Digger to build a fence around a racetrack in Flint, Michigan. That was the birth of a new company, Digger Specialties.

Digger saw the market potential for this relatively new product. In 1984, he established Digger Specialties, Inc. for the sole purpose of manufacturing and selling vinyl fencing and related maintenance-free products.

 

On March 12, 1954, Larry Boyts became the third generation born on the family farm in New Paris, Indiana. Larry began his sales career at a very early age working at the family fruit and vegetable stand. From this early beginning stemmed his first original marketing and sales venture, the seedless watermelon in the early 1960's.

Larry attended Fairfield High School and later New Prairie High School where he graduated in 1972. Prior to attending John Brown University, Larry worked for two years as a purchasing manager and sales representative for the truck body and fifth-wheel light semi-trailer industry. Returning to college, Larry graduated from John Brown University with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Business Administration. While in college, Larry met and married his wife, Kathy. They have four children serving in the following areas: a daughter as church secretary, a son as building products department manager in a Retail Home Center, one son studying martial arts in China, and one son doing computer graphics and production for a TV show.

While in college, Larry went to work for the Wal-Mart Corporation where he achieved great success as a Department Manager. He received commendations in several letters and finally in person by the CEO himself, Mr. Sam Walton.

In 1979, Larry went on to work for the Brock Manufacturing Corporation where, in 1984, he reached the position of Sales Manager. At that time, the corporation was in the 50 million dollar annual sales bracket.

In 1985, Larry became co-owner in a vinyl fencing company. Since then, Larry has worked in the fencing and building products industry in various sales and management positions for the past 18 years. During this period, Larry has been the National Sales Manager with two major corporations in the building products industry. Larry began his association with Mr. Loren Graber, owner of Digger Specialties, Inc., when Larry began selling fencing products to Mr. Graber from 1986 to 1991.

In June of 1997, Mr. Graber and Mr. Hochstetler purchased Permalatt, Inc. of Nebraska. At that time, Larry was Director of Marketing for Permalatt. Mr. Graber asked Larry to stay on as Director of Marketing and to become the Sales Manager for Digger Specialties, Inc. He worked in this capacity until his promotion to Vice President of Sales & Marketing in 2005.

Larry is currently a member of the AMA (American Management Association) and has been a member since 1997. Larry has also attended leadership seminars by John Maxwell of INJOY.

 

Everett Hochstetler was born to a third generation Amish dairy farmer on September 16, 1965. The oldest of 11 children, Everett learned hard work and honesty to be a way of life for their small but close knit community.

After graduating from the Amish run Sunny Meadows School in 1980, Everett began working for Digger on his family farm in May of 1982. Everett and Digger worked together until October 1985, at which time, Everett began working for Fairmont Homes of Nappanee. Everett worked for Fairmont Homes until 1989, during which time, he learned a great deal about production and leadership.

In 1989, Everett left Fairmont to work in production for Country Holz Craft. Everett continued working at Country Holz Craft until the spring of 1992 when he agreed to accept a position as Production Manager for Digger Specialties. Everett worked for about a year in that capacity before being promoted to Plant Manager in 1993.

For the next few years, Everett grew with the company, acting as a "jack of all trades" whenever necessary. Not only was Everett Plant Manager, he also handled customer service and any other Management function that was necessary. Everett's obvious hard work and dedication to the company, along with his strong leadership abilities, led to his promotion to Vice President of Operations in May of 1995.

As Vice President of Operations, Everett is responsible for all aspects of manufacturing our products; from design, to production, to delivery of the finished goods. He and his team at all of our production facilities are responsible for Purchasing, Inventory, Product Research and Development, Manufacturing Process Design, Production, Quality Control, Packaging, and Shipping. Of course, with such a broad array of responsibilities and production facilities across the U.S., Everett relies on his team of experienced and dedicated managers and workers, allowing him to make frequent visits to each of the plants every year.

 

Sheryl has been with Digger Specialties, Inc. since the summer of 1998.  Sheryl has gained experience in several areas from working in the shop to working in the office doing various job duties for Customer Service.  This experience has helped Sheryl acquire her current job position of Sales Support Manager.  As Sales Support Manager, Sheryl gives guidance to the Customer Service and Technical Support departments at Digger Specialties, Inc.  Sheryl enjoys the challenges she faces each day in providing and maintaining the excellent Customer Service and Technical Service that Digger Specialties, Inc. provides its customers. 

Sheryl lives in LaPorte, Indiana with her husband, Ben.  They own a vinyl fence company, which has provided Sheryl the unique opportunity of experiencing Digger Specialties as a customer as well.  This has helped on a number of occasions as she can bring first hand information back to Digger Specialties on ways to improve our service to the customers.  

 

Greg began working at Digger Specialties in January 2006.

 

Judy began working at Digger Specialties in July of 2002. She started in Production to train for Inside Quality Control. Currently, Judy is our Customer Service Representative for Aluminum Fence. Judy is married with 2 girls, Cari and Kenzie. They live in Plymouth, Indiana.

 

Territory Includes: Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Western New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Western Pennsylvania and Texas.

Tina joined Digger Specialties in February of 2002 in the Customer Service Department. She lives in Bremen with her husband, Steve, and two children, Alissa and Bryant. Her spare time is filled with church activities, following her families activities (band, baseball, football) and community volunteer programs (Holy Walk). Summer is her favorite time of the year, but Christmas is a close second. She also enjoys reading Christian mysteries when time permits.

 

Territory Includes: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Deleware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Eastern New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Eastern Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Overseas Accounts.

Rachel joined Digger Specialties, Inc. in January of 2004 as the receptionist. In June of 2004 she joined our Customer Service Department. Rachel works very closely with the customers in her zones receiving phone calls regarding orders; processing orders for literature, samples, displays, etc.; and assisting with order entry. Rachel enjoys being on the phone interacting with customers. She resides in Nappanee, Indiana. Rachel enjoys spending time with family, friends and various summer activities including: bicycling, swimming and gardening.

 

Brooke joined Digger Specialties in December 2004. She processes and enters orders for Production. She also helps with scheduling. Brooke lives in Bremen, Indiana with her husband, Eddie, and their daughters, Haylie and Taylor.

 

Mel began working at Digger Specialties in January 2007 as Sales Manager. 

Mel is a lifelong resident of northern Indiana.  He spent the past 29 years in the delivery truck body industry working the last 14 years for Utilimaster Corp.

He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Jill, for 27 years.  She is the office manager for Phil Hahn & Associates in Nappanee, Indiana.  They have two children, Corinne and Trevor.  Corinne is a Purdue graduate and is married to Jeff Hertsel.  She is a nurse at Elkhart General Hospital located in Elkhart, Indiana.  Trevor is a Junior at Purdue studying History Education.

 

Larry and his wife, Vanita, are both natives of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Larry has over 25 years experience in the liquid powder coating industries in Pennsylvania and Indiana.  Larry's background in the technical aspect of powder coating job shops has been used to serve many different types of manufacturing industries.  They include agricultural, automotive, heavy truck, retail store fixture, marine, architectural, and lawn and garden industries.

Larry came on board with Digger Specialties in February 2005 to oversee the installation of DSI's in-house powder coating process.  He gave oversight to the design, purchase, installation, and start up of the new state-of-the-art powder coating system.

Currently, Larry manages the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) powder coating specification while also developing a new position of Product Manager and Trainer.  The Product Manager position is giving assistance to Research and Development on new product design and trends.  Larry is also developing Digger's training products and programs and conducts training seminars with our customer base throughout the United States.

Larry and Vanita have been married for 25 years and have four children.  Jordan and Patrick are both in college while Kristen and Kelsi are both in high school.

 

Lori began working at Digger Specialties in June 2006.  She is the Sales & Marketing Assistant to Larry Boyts, Vice President of Sales & Marketing.  Among her many responsibilities, most importantly, Lori assists Larry with day-to-day activities, planning and working tradeshows, directing leads and phone work.

Lori resides in North Webster, Indiana.  She has 3 children and 4 grandchildren.  She enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

 

Jennifer began with Digger Specialties in 1998 as Receptionist, moved to Accounts Receivable and then became the Customer Service Representative for the Midwest region.  She left Digger Specialties in March 2001 and was able to return in January 2003 as Customer Service Representative for Zones 5, 6, 7 and 8.  In October 2003, she was moved into the Technical Service Assistant position.  In April 2007, she moved into her current position as Advertising & Promotion Assistant. 

She and her husband, Bob, live in South Bend, Indiana with their son, Dylan.

 

Territory Includes: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Western Tennessee.

A proud member of our sales team, Steve started work for Digger Specialties in 2002. Accepting, and even enjoying, the change and challenge of learning a new industry at Digger Specialties, Steve has found great pleasure in working with a dedicated, knowledgeable staff, dealer and distributor network.

Steve was born in Elkhart, Indiana, graduated from Elkhart Central High School and earned a Junior Accounting Degree from South Bend College of Commerce. Continuing his education, he has accumulated fifty additional credit hours at Indiana University of South Bend. He and his wife, Anne, currently live in North Manchester, Indiana.

You can reach Steve at:

Office Phone: 888-368-9032

Cell Phone: 574-229-6250

Fax: 260-982-0762

E-Mail: scripe@diggerspecialties.com

 

Territory Includes: Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Western New York.

Although Jerome is a more recent addition to the Digger Specialties family, starting here in 2002, he has been associated with the building materials industry for over 20 years. Born in Pennsylvania, Jerome grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He, his wife, Cynthia, and their four beautiful daughters, Katherine, Kristine, Karen and Karissa, presently reside in Medina, Ohio. Jerome is active in his church and likes riding his motorcycle and photographing old barns.

You can reach Jerome at:

Office Phone: 866-869-5480

Fax: 330-722-0507

E-Mail: jkolosky@diggerspecialties.com

 

Territory Includes: Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Eastern Tennessee.

Our Sales Manager, Mel Shields, handles sales for the states listed above.

You can reach Mel at:

Office Phone: 800-446-7659

Fax: 574-546-5099

E-Mail: mshields@diggerspecialties.com

 

Territory Includes: Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi.

Ed began working at Digger Specialties, Inc. in April 2008 as Territory Manager for Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Misissippi.

You can reach Ed at:

Office Phone: 850-329-6009

Cell Phone: 574-933-1557

Fax: 850-329-7981

E-Mail: egrause@diggerspecialties.com

 

Territory Includes: Illinois, Wisconsin and Extreme Eastern Iowa.

Jerry started working at Digger Specialties in 1998. Prior to that, he had been salesman for a home improvement company where he sold Digger Specialties products. Jerry sold his dry cleaning and laundry business to begin his sales career with a major manufacturer of pre-engineered steel and wood frame buildings as a regional manager covering 7 states.

Born, and still residing, in Bourbonnais, Illinois, Jerry has served his church and community as a member of the Illinois National Guard, YMCA, Moose Lodge, Holy Name Society and as a volunteer fireman for 12 years. He and his wife, Jan, have 4 children and 12 grandchildren.

You can reach Jerry at:

Office Phone: 888-368-9031

Fax: 815-932-1140

E-Mail: jcoyne@diggerspecialties.com

 

Territory Includes: Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Rich started with the DSI team in January 2008.

With a sales and marketing background servicing consumers, dealers, and wholesalers for many years, Rich enjoys promoting quality products while making a difference in the lives of others.

Rich began selling and marketing boating products in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" under the guidance of a great teacher and salesman, his father, Gordon Peterson.  Gordon owned a successful marine dealership and is considered an early pioneer in developing the first packaged concept in the boating industry during the mid to late 1970's.  Numerous national sales awards were presented by major marine manufacturers such as Glastron Boats and Outboard Marine Corporation.

Rich learned that working in a retail setting places you in the line of fire every day and that a pleasant, goal centered personality makes things happen.

The boating industry led to affiliated marine product sales such as docks.  Recognizing the need for a superior decking surface in dock applications led to vinyl dock material sales.  Selling and promoting vinyl dock material led to vinyl decking and vinyl decking led to vinly railing and fencing systems.  Pioneering new product lines in a developing industry to a growing dealer network was both exciting and groundbreaking.

New products, new materials, new applications - it's all about creating an improved living experience for consumers.  We now have major kitchens in our backyards.  Will we soon be taking outdoor showers?  What's the next adventure in outdoor living?

Rich was born and still lives in the Minneapolis, MN area with his wife of almost 30 years, Mary Jo.  They have three children - Lindsay, Derek, and Tess.

Rich looks forward to working with a great team of manufacturing, marketing, sales, service, and support people with the common goal of providing partner solutions from people who care.

You can reach Rich at:

Office Phone: 866-229-0087

Fax: 763-425-6122

E-Mail: rpeterson@diggerspecialties.com

 

Territory Includes: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

In April of 2002, John became part of the Digger Specialties family. For 22 years, John has been a part of the constructions and building industry, gaining experience in most stages of construction, from grading to finishing. Born in Concord, California in 1957, his family soon moved to New Mexico where they lived until John�s mid-teens. In 1974, they moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he finished high school and college. Still living in Oklahoma, John is married with a son and daughter and recently, a granddaughter.

You can reach John at:

Office Phone: 888-368-9012

Cell Phone: 918-605-1957

Fax: 918-794-0168

E-Mail: jhathcoat@diggerspecialties.com

 

Territory Includes: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and Overseas Accounts.

Our Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Larry Boyts, handles sales for the states listed above.

You can reach Larry at:

Office Phone: 800-446-7659

Fax: 574-546-5099

E-Mail: z8nup@diggerspecialties.com

 

Territory Includes: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Eastern New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Our Sales Manager, Mel Shields, handles sales for the states listed above.

You can reach Mel at:

Office Phone: 800-446-7659

Fax: 574-546-5099

E-Mail: mshields@diggerspecialties.com

 

Margaret began working for Digger Specialties, Inc. in September of 2004 as an Assistant to the Vice President of Operations after working 7 years for a sister company. She coordinates activities for meetings chaired by the Vice President of Operations by overseeing announcements, schedules, reservations and assisting in designing presentations, etc. She makes travel arrangements for the Vice President of Operations and other members of the operations team as well as assisting in making appointments and scheduling activities. Margaret enjoys her flower gardens and says it’s great therapy to unwind and relax at the end of the day.

 

Joslyn began working in production with vinyl products in the summers of 2000 and 2001.  She returned in May 2006 working with aluminum products.  She then moved into the position of Order Scheduling in March of 2008 where she creates work orders for production.

She resides in Bremen, Indiana with her husband, John, and their daughter, Rylee.

 

Judy joined Digger Specialties, Inc. in September 2000 serving the dual roles of Human Resources and payroll administration. Her duties require maintaining all personnel and benefit information, coordinating company social functions and managing the Reception and General Support positions. Judy and husband, Russell, live on a farm near the Bremen facility. They have four grown children, three sons and one daughter, two granddaughters, and one grandson.

 

Marilyn began working at Digger Specialties, Inc. full time in November 2004 at the receptionist position. Her main job is to answer phones, greet visitors, fax and file acknowledgments and help where needed.

 

Tim joined the Digger Specialties team as Accounting Manager in April of 2001.  He is responsible for managing the Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Cost Accounting, and Credit & Collection areas.  He was moved into the position of Controller in 2007.

Before joining Digger Specialties, he spent several years in educational administration and in other manufacturing environments.  Tim, his wife, Evelyn, and their four children live near the small Indiana town of Etna Green.

 

Sharon has been a part of our accounting staff since April of 2002. She has several years of experience in accounting and enjoys the office environment. She assisted on developing our Credit and Collection Department as an effort to better assist our customers.  Among her responsibilities are setting up new accounts, maintaining the receivables side of accounts and sometimes being a problem solver to help in difficult situations.

 

Darlene began working part-time at Digger Specialties in June 2004 performing general office duties.  She was moved into her current position of Accounts Receivable in August 2007.

Lisa began working in Accounts Payable for Digger Specialties in 2007.

 

Dennis has been with Digger Specialties, Inc. since February of 2005. He lives in Plymouth, Indiana.

 

Larry ‘Big Stick’ McKinney joined Digger Specialties in 2000 after a brief, 27 year, hitch in the United States Marine Corps. ‘Big Stick’ is responsible for both the hardware and software for all of the company’s communication and information systems. He and his family live in Elkhart.

 

Digger Specialties, Inc. opened the Sarcoxie plant in March of 1998. This was the 2nd remote plant for the company and it contains 7900 sq. ft. of production and office space. In 2003, an additional 12,500 sq. ft. of space was added to make a total of 20,400 sq. ft. It is located on a large tract of land, which gives us lots of room for expansion in the future.

This plant is located within 1,000 feet of I-44. This gives us great distribution advantages. We have quick distribution to our customers throughout Missouri. I-44 East is a direct route into St. Louis and I-44 West gets us to Tulsa and Oklahoma City in several hours, and then on to Amarillo, Texas. The northern Texas markets are only 8 to 10 hours away. We can also effectively distribute to Kansas, eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and Arkansas from this facility.

Our Sarcoxie plant has the production equipment necessary to manufacture 95% of our product line and we have a substantial amount of inventory on hand to fill customer orders.

This plant is staffed with an excellent group of people. They pride themselves in shipping customer orders accurately, on time, care about producing high quality products and eagerly follow our strict quality assurance procedures.

PLANT MANAGER: ED JONES
Ed started with Digger Specialties in 1999 as a CNC router operator, a position he held for two years before being selected as the Plant Manager. After a year as Plant Manager, his goal continues to be making the Missouri plant as productive, efficient, and successful as possible.

Ed's manufacturing experience includes working for Mid-America Hardwoods as a Team Leader in the gluing division and employment with Leggett & Platt.

A Sarcoxie native, Ed still resides there with his wife, April, and their four children. He attended Sarcoxie school district schools and then continued his education at Missouri Southern State College.

 

Digger Specialties, Inc. opened the North Carolina Plant in April of 1996. It is located 30 minutes south of Greensboro in the middle of North Carolina. This plant is strategically located with access to major highways for quick distribution to some of the bigger market areas in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia along with other adjacent states.

This was the first plant expansion away from the corporate office located in northern Indiana. This location started out with 10,000 sq. ft. of building space, a minimum amount of inventory, and the equipment needed to manufacture 75% of Digger Specialties' complete product line.

By February 1999, 12,000 sq. ft. of outside concrete had been added. In April 1999, ground was broken for a 1,440 sq. ft. addition, including a loading dock. This gave us the space we needed to start inventorying our tan product line.

By 2002, the Randleman plant had the capability to manufacture 95% of our total product line. Several pieces of equipment, including two state-of-the-art CNC machining centers, and a significant amount of inventory have been added at this location, which helps ensure our customers are serviced quickly and consistently.

This plant is staffed with a wonderful group of people that care about what they do. They follow our strict quality assurance procedures well and pride themselves in shipping customer orders accurately and on time.

PLANT MANAGER: DAVID ATKINS
David joined Digger Specialties in January of 2002 as our Randleman, North Carolina, Plant Manager. He brings us a wealth of knowledge and over 34 years of management experience in the manufacturing sector. Prior to coming on board with Digger Specialties, David was the Finishing Department Manager at the Sara Lee Corporation in Kernersville, NC; the Finishing Department Manager at Jockey, International in Randleman, NC; and the Production/Safety Manager at Olympic Products/IFI (a division of Leggett & Platt), in Greensboro/Statesville, NC.

A North Carolina native, David attended Guilford County Public Schools and graduated from Northwest High School in Greensboro. Outside of work, he focuses on his church and family. He is married to Janice Collins of Madison, North Carolina, who is currently employed as an Executive Secretary by Jefferson Pilot Financial Corporation in Greensboro. They have one son, Christopher, who lives in Evanston, Illinois, and is a doctoral student in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University.

 

Opened in March of 2001, the Valdosta plant is the newest Digger Specialties production facility with 15,000 sq. ft. of production and office space. It is located 2 miles from I-75 for quick distribution north towards Atlanta, south into Florida, or west into the southern Gulf States.

This plant has a full line of production equipment enabling us to produce what our customer needs, when they need it. We have a substantial amount of well-managed inventory on hand to fill our customer orders quickly.

The Valdosta plant is staffed with an outstanding group of people that pride themselves in shipping customer orders accurately and on time. They care about what they do and they follow our strict quality assurance procedures well.

Plant Manager:  Donald Munro

 

During 1984, in Bremen, Indiana, Digger Specialties Inc. opened its first production facility. It was a humble beginning, with a 7,000 sq. ft. vinyl fence fabrication shop, some bending equipment to shape posts for thoroughbred racetracks, and a small office up front. During this time, Digger Specialties developed a tool to notch rails to keep them in the posts, enabling the industry to move away from brackets and other fastening systems to the routed posts used today.

In 1992, another 6,000 sq. ft. was added as the demand for our product increased. Over the next several years, 14,000 sq. ft. of exterior concrete was added for additional inventory as Digger Specialties continued to grow. The demand for our product increased dramatically as we developed better systems, such as the patented hidden picket attachment.

In 1995, an adjoining property was acquired with an additional 6,700 sq. ft. of production space. The market acceptance of vinyl fencing continued to increase rapidly through the latter part of the 1990's. In 1997, an additional 10,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space was added.

In April of 2000, having outgrown the existing facilities, production was moved across the street into a new "state of the art" 60,000 sq. ft. production plant. This is our biggest facility. Here we use our most sophisticated equipment and can manufacture 100% of our product line. This building is located on a large tract of land that gives us lots of room for future expansion.

This plant is staffed with an excellent group of people that care about what they do. They follow our strict quality assurance procedures well and pride themselves in shipping customer orders accurately and on time.

With production now in a separate facility nearby, the old fabrication shop in the original building is being converted to office space for the corporate headquarters staff.

PLANT MANAGER: TOM HELLINGA
Tom joined us as a full-time driver in May of 1999, prior to that, he had been a part-time driver. He was promoted to Shipping Manager in February of 2000. Tom was promoted to his current position in December of 2000.