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Reprinted from New Jersey
Building Contractors Magazine
J.M.
Ahle Co., Inc.
South River, NJ
by Darlene Regina, Editor
The year was 1980, the beginning of a new decade.
Ronald
Reagan was elected the 40th President of the United States.
The Sony Walkman was introduced along with roller blades
and Post-It Notes. CNN made their debut introducing the
American public to 24 hours of news coverage. Musicians
Blondie, Michael Jackson, John Lennon and Queen topped
the charts. Television brought us M*A*S*H, Dallas and yes,
The Love Boat.
Back in New Jersey, Jim Ahle decided it was time to put his
years of experience in construction material distribution to
the test and start his own business. At the foot of Herman
Street in South River, Jim selected a tract of land he believed
would suit his needs and allow him to expand as the business
grew. It was here that J.M. Ahle Company emerged, with no
more than a barren yard and a garage that housed a few small
offices. With one forklift and a supply list consisting of wire
mesh and expansion joints. J.M. Ahle Co., Inc. began their
business venture. Twenty years later, Ahle has earned the rep-
utation as one of New Jersey's largest reinforcing steel fabri-
cators and construction material distributors.
J.M. Ahle Co. began as a family-owned business and
throughout the last two decades has been run by both family
members and longtime dedicated employees. The firm was
recently purchased by Moro Corporation, a Bala Cynwyd
Industrial holding company that sees tremendous growth
potential for Ahle. David Menard, president and CEO of
Moro, states that "we acquired Ahle because Jim's entire man-
agement team was in place and we can use the company as a
platform on which to build a substantially larger business
through geographical and product expansion as well as
through possible acquisitions of related businesses."
Until recently announcing his retirement, James Ahle
served as President, his son John Ahle as Vice President and
Ron Perlman as General Manager. Jim's two other sons, Doug
and Eric, are also part of the Ahle team, with Doug overseeing
the operation of the yard, and Eric spending most of his time
on the road in sales. Both Ron Perlman and Doug Ahle came
on board in 1980, with Eric and John joining the firm in 1982
and 1985, respectively. Jim's retirement has elevated John
Ahle to President and Ron Perlman to Vice President. "My
Dad did a tremendous job building the company to where it
is currently positioned," says John Ahle, "and now, along with
the resources and support of our partnership with Moro
Corporation, we plan to take the company to new heights in
both sales volume and customer service and satisfaction."
Ahle has expanded considerably to meet market demands
and a growing client base. Enjoying record sales, their prod-
uct line today includes reinforcing bars, tie wire, bar supports,
wire mesh, expansion joints and sealants, sealers, geotextile
fabrics, form coating, styrofoam, fiber column forms, water-
stop, poly film, waterproofing membrane and quickset high-
way patch.
The company has supplied reinforcing steel to many high
profile projects throughout the state, including the Route 35
project in Red Bank, the Bayonne Bridge, River Bend Three in
West New York, A.M. Best Food Company and Somerset Ball
Park, to name a few. In 2000, the A.M. Best Food project was
a recipient of a New Jersey Concrete Award and Somerset Ball
Park was recognized by the New Jersey Business & Industry
Association with a New Good Neighbor Award.
Approximately twenty-five employees service and manage
accounts for some of New Jersey's largest and most reputable
contractors in the building, heavy and highway, and private
sectors, for jobs ranging from 2 - 1,000 tons. Regardless of
size, Ahle personnel consistently place customer satisfaction
as their top priority, the reason why most clients are repeat
purchasers who have come to know and appreciate their work
ethics and professionalism. "Under Jim's guidance, we have
created a culture among our employees whereby consistently
satisfying our customer needs is our number one priority,"
states Ron Perlman.
The Ahle Management team view their relationship with
the Building Contractors Association of New Jersey, as well as
the AGC of New Jersey and the UTCA, as an effective means
to network with business associates in an enjoyable atmos-
phere and at the same time stay abreast of important industry
issues.
With the backing of a strong economy, J.M. Ahle Co.
anticipates expansion in the new millennium. Reflecting on
their twenty years in business and analyzing the way in which
they weathered difficult periods and flourished in prosperous
times, they are confident their expectations for growth will
become a reality. |
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