Furnas Electric, The End
The Osceola Furnas Electric Plant excelled in cleanliness. Dick Hansen, Corporate Chairman and President, told Doug Stearns, "These floors will shine." Former Governor Brandstad, an occasional visitor to the Osceola plant, presented several Governors' Excellence Awards to Furnace Electric. The Osceola Sentinel quoted Brandstad as saying "Furnace Electric, in Osceola, is an excellent example of what a company should be." It is remembered that Furnas Electric had good employee and management relationships. The factories were non-union. To this day, when Sally Riekena, former Secretary and Human Resources Director, visits socially with former Furnas workers, a common remark heard is, "We really had it good!"
Sally Riekena retired in 1997. Headquarters officials from the Batavia, Ill. plant honored Sally for 23 years of outstanding service at a special dinner at the Ruan Center in Des Moines. At another ceremony, Governor Brandstad presented Sally with the Iowa Outstanding Volunteer Award for her service to the Job Service Advisory Board and Work Force Development. It was noted that she was one of two women that were first offered membership in the Iowa Society of Human Resource Managers. She is a past President of that organization.
Furnas promoted from within their own work force. Bill Abney began working as a teenager in the assembly line at the Batavia, Ill. plant where his father and mother were employed. In 1974, after 11 years at the Batavia plant, Bill Abney came to Osceola as Production Supt. with Plant Manager Bob Prichard to set up assembly lines in the newly built Osceola Furnas Electric factory. Bill Abney succeeded Joe Kiefer as Osceola Plant Manager in 1981. One of his assignments was to set up a new Furnas Electric factory at Reynosa, Mexico. In 1997, he became Human Resource Director after the retirement of Sally Riekena. Bill Abney retired in 2002. He remembers that employment peaked at 550 in 1992.
Dudley Sook started working at the Batavia, Ill. Furnas plant in the products packaging department at age 18. Dudley was transferred to Osceola in 1986 as Plant Supt. to supervise production. His wife, Karen Sook, was Production Control Coordinator. Dudley became Plant Manager in 1997, a year after Siemens, an international manufacturing giant with over 350,000 world wide employees, purchased Furnas Electric.
Sally Riekena, Bill Abney, and Dudley Sook all sensed that the end was nearing for Siemens in Osceola. Sally said, “I didn’t enjoy my last two years. I didn’t want to stay and see it all go away.” Closing came in 2003. Hundreds were left without a job. They were given severance pay and options for educational retraining. Dudley Sook turned down a transfer to the Siemens factory at Juarez, Mexico. Most of Siemens’ Mexican industries have now been moved to China and India. Sook remained at the Osceola plant till 2004 to complete clearance procedures. He remained under contract until the Siemens building was sold to Astoria Industries in 2006. Dudley Sook now owns and operates the Maid-Rite franchise at the Terribles convenience store on West Clay Street near the Terribles Casino. Bill Abney manages a marina-at Osage Beach in the Ozarks for the Rick Barrett family.
Rick is a former Osceola implement dealer. Sally Riekena is sharing retirement with her husband, Ron Riekena, former Clarke School Supt. and consultant with the Iowa Dept of Education. Sally is a talented artist, enjoys traveling, and visiting with family.