C&R Manufacturing, Shawnee, KS, is honored to receive this year’s 25 Under 25 Award, which recognizes 25 outstanding Kansas City businesses with under 25 employees.

The 25 Under 25® Awards program is not just about honoring individual businesses; it’s also about opening the public’s eyes to the economic and community impact of small businesses. Criteria used included company vision, community involvement, and ability to overcome challenges.

Look for the following write-up in the next issues of Thinking Bigger Business:

Ronald Wosel and his team are the manufacturers that other manufacturers trust. Shawnee-based C&R Manufacturing produces intricate, perfectly designed parts that other equipment makers incorporate in their own finished products. Modern Machine Shop magazine has named it one of top 10 shops of its kind in the United States.

“We are consistently rated as a top supplier based on quality, on-time delivery and service,” Wosel said. “Our on-time delivery record is above 99 percent.”

Wosel formed C&R in his basement in 1979—he added extra insulation to the house so the machines wouldn’t wake his kids, and his first employee was a 16-year-old neighbor. Today, C&R Manufacturing operates from a 32,000-square-foot facility filled with the latest CNC, waterjet and robotic welding technology. And the neighbor kid is now Wosel’s shop foreman.

C&R Manufacturing operates in a very competitive field, so it’s always been Wosel’s practice to reinvest in new equipment and training for his employees.

“Remember, if you’re not moving forward, you’re going backward!”