ST. JAMES- The year was 1946. America was engaged in a return to "normalcy" after World War II, with millions of veterans returning to their communities to settle down, start families, and find good jobs. Many of those veterans would be finding work in the United States’ booming postwar manufacturing industry, which was central to America’s sustained period of economic prosperity for nearly the next three decades.

It was during this time that Nick Tacony decided to reach out for his own slice of the American Dream, in that very manufacturing field, by starting a business selling and servicing sewing machines in St. Louis. More than 60 years later, even through difficult economic times and a shrinking U.S. manufacturing base, Tacony is using innovation to grow its business and continue to thrive.

In 1997, Tacony built a plant in St. James and brought manufacturing of its vacuum cleaners from overseas to that new plant, which now employs more than 100 workers. The move was an illustration of how Tacony has grown through the years. Originally a sales and servicing center for sewing machines, the company now carries ceiling fans, commercial and home vacuum cleaners, and has added a molding and manufacturing component to its business plan. But with U.S. manufacturing facing severe challenges in a global economy in recent years, it became necessary to use innovation to develop the next new product to keep the company prospering in a fiercely competitive world.

Tacony was no stranger to improvising and adapting to maintain its growth and profitability. It was during the 1980’s that the company foresaw a decline in the use of sewing machines in the home due to societal changes, which prompted its move into the lucrative new world of manufacturing vacuum cleaners. To remain competitive, Tacony would need to launch another new product.

Recently, Tacony teamed up with the Missouri Enterprise, a partner of the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED), to help develop a new line of made-in-Missouri products. Missouri Enterprise is a non-profit organization that helps Missouri businesses, with an emphasis on manufacturers, succeed through a broad range of hands-on business, technical and manufacturing optimization services.

As a result, Tacony recently launched production of a portable infrared zone heater that homeowners could move from room to room. The new product continues the company’s standard of producing quality products right here in America.

"The key to what we do is bringing the manufacturing of products and components back to the United States," said Jim Fleming, plant manager of Tacony’s St. James facility. "We are able to get far superior quality, at about the same cost."

To make the new product a success, Tacony needed to find another company that could manufacture the cabinets needed for the heaters. Although the company could produce the heater portion of the product, it needed help for the wood cabinet part in which the heater would be housed. Tacony worked with the Missouri Enterprise, and through that partnership was able to line up three cabinet manufacturers to supply the housing units for the heaters: Twin Oaks of Neosho, Kirkwood Stair and Millwork of Pacific. These companies were able to ensure that they could provide the products that Tacony needed on time and on budget.

This Missouri-based supply chain provides a constant, local supply and has enabled Tacony to supply in-demand goods around the world. With energy prices projected to increase approximately 30% over the coming winter, Tacony’s innovative heaters will provide Missouri families with an opportunity for great savings on energy costs.

"Opportunities for Missouri businesses to team up, work together and create jobs are abundant in our state, and Tacony’s story illustrates that fact," said David Kerr, Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. "Their innovative efforts to help provide families with low-cost alternatives for heating their homes in the winter are the kind of entrepreneurship that is crucial during our challenging economic times. This project fall directly in line with Governor Nixon’s initiatives on job creation and energy efficiency."

For more information on Tacony, visit www.tacony.com. For more information on the Missouri Enterprise, please visit www.missourienterprise.org.