Nemco Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Luke Moffatt- President of Nemco, and Cassie Moffatt- Marketing Manager at Nemco, accepting the Proclamation commemorating Nemco's 50th anniversary from Defiance Co. Commissioners.

The 50th anniversary is called the golden anniversary because the metal is strong, lasting and valuable. The words also accurately describe Nemco Food Equipment.

Nemco, located on Meuse Argonne in Hicksville, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026.

In June, the company honored the milestone with an open house. The morning session was just for employees and customers, with it being opened to the

community in the afternoon.

"We had an awesome event," said Luke Moffatt, president of Nemco. "We had the opportunity to celebrate our employees, customers, and community. It was a very special moment to have my grandmother and Nemco Founder, Leone Neidhardt, there to give a speech."

While a lot has changed in the last 50 years for the company, one big thing has not.

"I think quality is still a strong hold on who we are and is our foundation," stressed Moffatt. "More and more we are trying to be a custom solution provider for chains. We are finding that sometimes if they have a new menu item, they need help. They want a labor-saving design and with our engineering team, we make perfect turnkey solutions curated to them."

To commemorate its 50th anniversary and its continued dedication to quality, the company unveiled a lifetime guarantee for its food prep equipment. Moffatt stated this speaks to the durability and reliability of the company's products. Food prep equipment represents a large portion the company's business.

Durability is something Nemco knows well.

Nemco's original spiral fry cutter on display during the 50th anniversary celebration.

Nemco began in 1976 when Ed Neidhardt started a machine shop in Hicksville with help from his dad, Earl and brother, Gene. The business' name stood for Neidhardt Engineering Co. In the late 1970s, the company was approached by a restaurant that asked if they could make a device that would create curly-shaped fries. The way the eatery was doing it was very labor intensive, and they wanted something a little quicker and easier. Taking on the task was a move that would shape the future of the company.

In 1981, Nemco unveiled the spiral fry -- its first food-prep item. Soon many more food service businesses started reaching out for items. Company officials listened to what clients needed and found solutions. In 1988, the company became more of a manufacturer of food equipment than a machine shop. 

“Everybody knows us for the spiral fries,” Luke acknowledged. “That’s our claim to fame locally. However, the spiral fry now makes up less than 1 percent of Nemco sales.”

He pointed out that Nemco also makes hot dog roller grills that are seen at convenience stores

Nemco's roller dog grill with bun warmers.

across the county, but most things they make are “hidden in the back of the kitchen.” Many products are food-prep equipment. 

“We have a 120-page catalog with 2,000 finished goods we sell,” he said. “That’s only half our business. The other half is our custom items for businesses that are proprietary to them and not offered to the general market.”

In 2011, Nemco opened a new warehouse distribution center in Phoenix, Ariz., to help serve the West Coast.

"A lot of our shipments are on pallets. A pallet LTL shipment takes 5-7 days to get from Ohio to the West Coast," Luke explained, adding having the Phoenix location helps reduce transit time and has other benefits. "It allows us to have a redundancy in inventory -- in case something happened then we'd have enough inventory for a month or two -- and to serve our customers out there."

National chains that Nemco serves.

He pointed out that most times customers need their products from Nemco quickly.

"Our equipment has a smaller price point and smaller scale," Luke remarked. "Restaurants plan for large capital expenditures like a new oven or grill that is $10,000. Ours is an intermediate item that they don't think about but is a critical need. If they are serving French fries and have one machine and it goes down, they need another right away."

Things continued to go well for the company thanks to its ability to handle whatever needs clients handed them. During COVID, when not many food-related businesses were open, Nemco rose to the challenge. It adapted, creating health and safety related products such as shield partitions, portable sinks and hands-free soap dispensers. As things reopened, the business returned to its normal products.

Leadership at the business also had some changes. Michelle Wibel became president in 2015, a role she served in until Luke took over in 2022.

Nemco's 50th anniversary celebration showcasing each decade in business.

"I became president four years ago now. It was a little unexpected," Luke admitted. "I was 29 years old when I got thrust upwards (he had been working as Nemco's sales manager and head of business development for its Global Solutions line prior). At first, I was concerned about 'what is everyone going to think,' 'are they going to respect me,' but I'd already been with the company for several years and I am not a silver spoon kid. Everyone at the time was so happy to see another family member stepping in place. It gave them a good feeling about the future of Nemco and the security of their jobs."

The employees are a vital part of Nemco's continued growth and success. 

"We have about 140 (employees) right now," Luke shared. "We have 14 open positions, so we are hiring. We're a great place to work in the Defiance County area. We have open positions in different skill areas. We're continuing to grow locally."

The company's last expansion was a 40,000-square-foot addition to its Hicksville facility in 2024.

Luke said the expansion was planned to help incorporate new technologies, enhance capabilities and production efficiency now and into the future. He is proud that the business will continue to grow in Hicksville.

Nemco's onion slicer for 'Bloomin' Onions'

“It’s a pretty small town, and we can supply nation-wide and internationally,” he proclaimed proudly. “That gets to the hearts of our employees and customers. We’re a family-owned business operating in the Midwest – the heart of the USA. Customers love and respect that. It’s another way we get a lot of our business.”

When asked what he thinks the next 50 years will look like for Nemco, Luke said he hopes he is still involved somehow.

“I just had my first kid a month ago,” he said, adding it would be wonderful to see the next generation continue and move ahead.

“We will continue to grow, and continue to serve more and more national chains. We love our presence in Defiance County and, hopefully, we continue to improve 

as the employer of choice in the area,” he stated. “Maybe we’ll have some international locations – who knows with these tariffs.”

With Nemco continuing to listen to its clients' needs both near and far, the company is well poised for the next 50 years.