Longtime Austin

By Suzanne Le Mignot

August 18, 2023 / 5:21 PM / CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) – The H&K Perforating Companies makes everyday items that consumers might not even think about. It's been in Chicago for more than a century.

CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reported that the Austin business strives not only to hire from the communities that surround it but also to give back to them.

Ever wonder how small holes are put into the metal panels inside microwaves or any other surface? Most likely, those holes were created by The H&K Perforating Companies in Austin.

"If you've got a microwave that's made in the United States, it's likely our product," said Andrew Strang, president and COO of The H&K Perforating Companies.

That's not all.

"You'll see it in filtration. You'll see it in architectural. The Goddard School, if you're on the highway, all the exterior of that is perforated metal," Strang said.

He added the company has a location in the Carbondale, Pennsylvania area, just outside of Scranton, as well as Cleveland, Tennessee, just outside of Chatanooga. Strang said no other independently-owned perforating company has the national footprint that H&K does.

The company has been in Chicago for 140 years and in the same spot in Austin for 100 years. It has strived to hire from West Side communities.

"What it tells me is that he can see the potential of people who are here," said Michael Reese, a Lawndale resident.

Reese has worked as a machinist for The H&K Perforating Companies for 49 years.

"It required a lot of thought, a lot of planning and a lot of attention to detail," Reese said.

Strang added, "To be a company that's existed in a neighborhood in Chicago for 100 years, we take a lot of pride in that and to be able to give back to the community, whether it's employment, whether it's back to school, giving the kids back-to-school supplies, before they head back in a couple of days here, we take it to heart."

The company is celebrating a century in Austin and honoring the community that has given it so much with a back-to-school event. It was complete with the Jesse White Tumblers, a DJ, lots of food and school supplies giveaways for the young people.

The H&K Perforating Companies create everyday necessities and build communities.

Suzanne Le Mignot serves as CBS2 Chicago's weekend news morning anchor and weekday reporter.

First published on August 18, 2023 / 5:21 PM

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