Click above to return to the News Menu

Plugged in, business turns on
St. Paul Pioneer Press – Sunday, March 19, 2000

Before Tom Morrissey got his Web site up and running for his small manufacturing company in Gatzke, Minn., two years ago, he relied on word of mouth to market his products. Now, he's getting 1,400 hits a month – from all over the world, including Australia, Germany, China and Mexico.

Morrissey's company is Scribe-Rite Steel, a welding and machining operation whose products include a popular work table used in manufacturing facilities. His customers include Polaris Industries and Johnson & Johnson.

The plant has but four employees, including Morrissey. Before he went online, the only employee was Morrissey.

Being on the Web "did not make me an overnight success or rich. It just increases your leads a lot,'' Morrissey says. And he emphasizes he's getting "quality hits.''

"I'm ecstatic. Without question, this has done nothing but good for me.''

His site, www.worktables.com, was created with the help of the Red River Trade Council, based at the University of Minnesota-Crookston. The trade council is one of few places rural Minnesota businesses can turn to to register domain names and design, host and promote Web sites.

Of some 7,000 manufacturers in Minnesota, the Red River Trade Council has touched about 300 with its services, said Jerry Nagel, council president. "We can't meet the demand.''

He said telecommunications deregulation would create more full-service Web developers that can help more businesses get online