BLAKELY HISTORY
THE EARLY YEARS
Denny Myelle and Dick were partners in the enterprise that ultimately became known as Blakely Auto Works, Ltd. These are some of the recollections from that period.
denny's background
Denny Myelle was born and raised on a farm near Davis Junction, Illinois. By the age of 7 he had started driving the small farm tractor and soon was driving cars, trucks, etc. By 13, he was allowed to buy junk cars (up to $15) to work on and drive around the farm. His long term plan was to become a high school "Ag". teacher. In 1969, when he graduated from Illinois State University, there were no "Ag" opening near his home so he got a "temporary job" at Rockford Screw Products(RCS). The company soon developed a "first ever" engineering training program for Denny with him reporting directly to the new VP of Engineering. In his first year, Denny worked in every department and learned to set up every type of machine. Denny was then assigned, as the first employee, to a new research & development/ customer support department. Dick Blakely was hired and became Denny's peer in the new department, both reported directly to the VP of Engineering. They "hit it off" immediately.
Taken from notes provided by Dennis Myelle: "history" 25 Feb 2016
Dick's first job in Rockford was at J.I.Case where, in a short time, he had earned several patents for improving Case's construction equipment. Jack Shugard, the VP of Engineering at RCS knew of Dick's achievements and asked him to join the team at Rockford Screw Products. Jack described Dick to Denny as the sharpest engineer he had ever seen. Dick always produced great work, but his habits were unusual, his desk was sloppy, his work hours were unconventional and this was becoming an issue with the rest of the office. Jack gave Denny a significant raise and turned the responsibility for Dick over to Denny. "I went right to Dick. I spilled my guts", and asked Dick "how can we make this work?" Dick was not upset. He always had an idea. Denny and Dick presented the idea for Jack's approval. Soon there was a new laboratory built above an existing laboratory in the plant. It was complete,with an enclosed stairway, and it had no windows. Denny writes "We had a private home and the shift workers didn't really care about what hours Dick worked." Or how messy his desk was.
Taken from notes provided by Dennis Myelle: "history" 25 Feb 2016.
Taken from notes provided by Dennis Myelle: "history" 25 Feb 2016
Dick's first job in Rockford was at J.I.Case where, in a short time, he had earned several patents for improving Case's construction equipment. Jack Shugard, the VP of Engineering at RCS knew of Dick's achievements and asked him to join the team at Rockford Screw Products. Jack described Dick to Denny as the sharpest engineer he had ever seen. Dick always produced great work, but his habits were unusual, his desk was sloppy, his work hours were unconventional and this was becoming an issue with the rest of the office. Jack gave Denny a significant raise and turned the responsibility for Dick over to Denny. "I went right to Dick. I spilled my guts", and asked Dick "how can we make this work?" Dick was not upset. He always had an idea. Denny and Dick presented the idea for Jack's approval. Soon there was a new laboratory built above an existing laboratory in the plant. It was complete,with an enclosed stairway, and it had no windows. Denny writes "We had a private home and the shift workers didn't really care about what hours Dick worked." Or how messy his desk was.
Taken from notes provided by Dennis Myelle: "history" 25 Feb 2016.
denny and dick become a team
"In our new engineering lab at RCS, we worked on many projects that helped our customers solve problems while our company gained good will and market share. When a customer had a fastener problem, they would put Dick and me on the company King Air and send us there. In addition to solving problems, Dick would frequently leave them with ideas for improvement. Dick loved the company's WATS lines and spent hours a day on the phone. On any subject that got his attention, he would call all the experts in the country, strike up a conversation, and glean their knowledge. He would soon become the single most knowledgable person on that subject. For him WATS lines were the Google and Wikipedia before there was a Google and Wikipedia.".
Dennis Myelle: "while i'm on a roll" 27 Feb 2016
Dennis Myelle: "while i'm on a roll" 27 Feb 2016
work begins on the bantam
-"I think it was in late 1972 or early 1973, that Dick had enough money saved up to leave Rockford Screw Products and start work on the Bantam. We would meet about once a week to have a few beers and talk about progress. In the winter of 1973-1974, Dick had the tooling done and the first Bantam was running. But [when] he couldn't get the gas gauge to work, he sent it to Bill, a mechanic friend to have a new sender installed. Bill misjudged the amount of gas in the tank and did not have a large enough catch pan. The pan overflowed and there was an explosion. Bill was not hurt, but the car was totally burned along with Bill's garage and part of his house. It made the front page of the Rockford newspaper."
"The next time we met, Dick was "totally down". He was broke and discouraged. By that time, I thought making and selling Bantam Kits could be a viable business. I kicked in my savings, agreed to keep working, shared my paycheck with him, and we became partners. We started our first production run of 15 Bantams which sold out quickly. We had (Bantam) bodies made at a local fiberglass shop and frames made by a local welder. After work, I put together kits and Dick wrote the Bantam assembly manual. Business was good."
Dennis Myelle:"Re:e-class photos" 22 Feb 2016
"The next time we met, Dick was "totally down". He was broke and discouraged. By that time, I thought making and selling Bantam Kits could be a viable business. I kicked in my savings, agreed to keep working, shared my paycheck with him, and we became partners. We started our first production run of 15 Bantams which sold out quickly. We had (Bantam) bodies made at a local fiberglass shop and frames made by a local welder. After work, I put together kits and Dick wrote the Bantam assembly manual. Business was good."
Dennis Myelle:"Re:e-class photos" 22 Feb 2016
a big time kit builder makes an offer
"In late summer 1974, we got a call from the Bradley GT guys in Minnesota. They were selling about 200 units a month of the Bradley GT kit for VW at the time. They said they were interested in buying the Bantam from us. We flew up there to talk with them. In our meeting they said they wanted to change the Bantam to include doors and a trunk. On the spot, Dick sketched up the Bearcat. They liked it. We agreed to mock it up, make molds, make frame fixtures, and make the first two running cars. When done, they would reimburse us for expenses, buy the two running cars, take over production, and pay us a royalty for each unit. We inked a contract with them. Dick and I planned to move to Florida and get big mailboxes for our royalty checks".
Dennis Myelle: "Re:e-class photos" 22 Feb 2016
"I quit work and we started work in Sept or Oct of 1974. In less than six months, about April 1975, we had the two cars done. Bradley never paid us. We had to get a lawyer and break the contract. We were both broke by then. We sold the two cars and started making and selling both kits".
Dennis Myelle: "Re:e-class photos" 22 Feb 2016
Dennis Myelle: "Re:e-class photos" 22 Feb 2016
"I quit work and we started work in Sept or Oct of 1974. In less than six months, about April 1975, we had the two cars done. Bradley never paid us. We had to get a lawyer and break the contract. We were both broke by then. We sold the two cars and started making and selling both kits".
Dennis Myelle: "Re:e-class photos" 22 Feb 2016
a real feeling of success
Dick and Denny first started manufacturing both kits in a rented place in Loves Park. Dick convinced Tom Yankaitis, who was just out of high school, to start an auto repair business next to them. Tom would buy wrecked Pintos, strip parts for the Blakely kit, sand blast and paint them, and sell a Pinto parts kits to those Blakely buyers who did not want to do the dirty work themselves. Soon, customers were asking if they could trade in cars for completed Blakelys. Dick decided they needed a used car dealers license. He filled out the required forms and submitted them to the Rockford Secretary of State's office in charge of dealers. Nothing happened. Dick refiled the forms. Again, nothing happened. Dick then learned, from one of the other dealers, that a fifty dollar bill had to be attached to the paperwork. Denny says, "the next was classic Dick. He called the Secretary of State office in Springfield, explained the problem, and asked exactly which guy was supposed to get the fifty so he didn't give it to the wrong guy."
"The next morning when we came to work, there were six really angry guys from Springfield waiting in our parking lot. Dick thought he might be in trouble so he decided to hide and told (Denny) to deal with the situation. There was no trouble. After seeing our operation, they gave us Manufacturer(MFR) status. Not only could we be a used car dealer, we could also issue an Illinois Certificate of Origin for [Blakely] kits and cars. We also got two sets of MFR plates."
Taken from notes provided by Dennis Myelle: "history" 22 Feb 2016
"The next morning when we came to work, there were six really angry guys from Springfield waiting in our parking lot. Dick thought he might be in trouble so he decided to hide and told (Denny) to deal with the situation. There was no trouble. After seeing our operation, they gave us Manufacturer(MFR) status. Not only could we be a used car dealer, we could also issue an Illinois Certificate of Origin for [Blakely] kits and cars. We also got two sets of MFR plates."
Taken from notes provided by Dennis Myelle: "history" 22 Feb 2016
re-thinking the plan
"In the Spring of 1976 the two owners had a disagreement about company direction and Dick Blakely sold his interest to Dennis Myelle. Part of the agreement was that Dick would receive a designers royalty payment for each of the kits sold."
Art Herschbergers 1977 business plan prepared by Kern Fisher p.31
By 1976, Denny had bought the facility in Davis Junction and moved all operations there. He hired Roger Graning, bought a chopper gun, and brought glass work in house to control the quality. Denny also decided to bring frame production in house to assure a reliable supply. It was then that a second set of fiberglass molds was produced for Bremen Sport Equipment so they could increase glass capacity. Meanwhile, with the money Dick received for the sale of his stock in the company, and his royalties, Dick moved on to other things.
Taken from notes provided by Dennis Myelle: "e-class photos" 22 Feb 2016
In the Spring of 1977, Art Herschberger, the owner of a small Corvair aftermarket business in Princeton, Wisconsin, acquired a 40% stake in the company and became responsible for Blakely " . . .sales and product improvement of the kits."
Art Herschbergers 1977 business plan prepared by Kern Fisher, p.31
In the Fall of 1978 Art submitted a business plan, prepared for him by Kern Fisher (MBA and Mechanical Engineer), to a lender stating that "I have an option to purchase the portion of the company owned by Mr. Myelle. This option terminates on December 3, 1978. My plan is to exercise this option . . ."
Art Herschberger 1977 business plan prepared by Kern Fisher, p.4
In that time period Denny could see that for Blakely Auto Works to grow, they needed design changes for newer donor cars and he felt that he "was not equipped to do that without Dick". "[Denny] completed The sale of Blakely Auto Works to Art Herschberger in Jan. 1980". "The Royalty to Dick went along with (Blakely Auto Works) BAW."
Taken from notes provided by Dennis Myelle: "history"22 Feb 2016
Art Herschbergers 1977 business plan prepared by Kern Fisher p.31
By 1976, Denny had bought the facility in Davis Junction and moved all operations there. He hired Roger Graning, bought a chopper gun, and brought glass work in house to control the quality. Denny also decided to bring frame production in house to assure a reliable supply. It was then that a second set of fiberglass molds was produced for Bremen Sport Equipment so they could increase glass capacity. Meanwhile, with the money Dick received for the sale of his stock in the company, and his royalties, Dick moved on to other things.
Taken from notes provided by Dennis Myelle: "e-class photos" 22 Feb 2016
In the Spring of 1977, Art Herschberger, the owner of a small Corvair aftermarket business in Princeton, Wisconsin, acquired a 40% stake in the company and became responsible for Blakely " . . .sales and product improvement of the kits."
Art Herschbergers 1977 business plan prepared by Kern Fisher, p.31
In the Fall of 1978 Art submitted a business plan, prepared for him by Kern Fisher (MBA and Mechanical Engineer), to a lender stating that "I have an option to purchase the portion of the company owned by Mr. Myelle. This option terminates on December 3, 1978. My plan is to exercise this option . . ."
Art Herschberger 1977 business plan prepared by Kern Fisher, p.4
In that time period Denny could see that for Blakely Auto Works to grow, they needed design changes for newer donor cars and he felt that he "was not equipped to do that without Dick". "[Denny] completed The sale of Blakely Auto Works to Art Herschberger in Jan. 1980". "The Royalty to Dick went along with (Blakely Auto Works) BAW."
Taken from notes provided by Dennis Myelle: "history"22 Feb 2016
Dick did not receive his royalty payments.
the story ends
On March 8, 1982, Richard Blakely filed a claim, in the Circuit Court of Green Lake County, Wisconsin against Arthur Herschberger, d/b/a Blakely Autoworks.
On June 12, 1990 "Judgement was rendered in the above action, in favor of the above named plaintiff, Richard Blakely".
"Therefore, Richard Blakely, the owner of said judgement does hereby satisfy said judgement in return for the following items connected with the manufacture of the cars of Blakely Autoworks, to wit:"
"1. All molds of Blakely Autoworks, including but not limited to the following:
A. Bantam
B. Hawk
C. Bearcat
D. Breman/Bernardi"
And a list of 11 more categories including fixtures and jigs, windshield extrusions and frames, the right to the name Blakely Autoworks, etc.
"Arthur Herschberger, individually and as a corporate officer, does hereby convey, transfer and/or assign all of the above to the Plaintiff."
Executed this 12th day of June 1990.
Circuit Court, Green Lake, Wisconsin Case No. 82 CV 61 Jun 1990
On June 12, 1990 "Judgement was rendered in the above action, in favor of the above named plaintiff, Richard Blakely".
"Therefore, Richard Blakely, the owner of said judgement does hereby satisfy said judgement in return for the following items connected with the manufacture of the cars of Blakely Autoworks, to wit:"
"1. All molds of Blakely Autoworks, including but not limited to the following:
A. Bantam
B. Hawk
C. Bearcat
D. Breman/Bernardi"
And a list of 11 more categories including fixtures and jigs, windshield extrusions and frames, the right to the name Blakely Autoworks, etc.
"Arthur Herschberger, individually and as a corporate officer, does hereby convey, transfer and/or assign all of the above to the Plaintiff."
Executed this 12th day of June 1990.
Circuit Court, Green Lake, Wisconsin Case No. 82 CV 61 Jun 1990
Dick Blakely died August 16, 1995 in Rockford, Illinois
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