By Monty Siekerman
Forty million (yes, million) footballs have been produced at Wilson Sporting Goods Company in Ada since Dan Riegle began there 37 years ago. On Friday he retired as plant manager.
Dan began at the plant on North Liberty Street following graduation from the University of Findlay. He started in accounting, moved up through the ranks, and has been plant manager for a long time.
He says, kiddingly, that now he can farm in the daylight. He and wife Cindy live on a 500-acre farm near Arlington. In the past, he did his grain farming at night and on the weekends. For a number of years, he also raised hogs.
More than farming will keep him occupied now that he is retiring from Wilson. He looks forward to spending more time with grandsons, hunting, and cutting wood.
Dan has headed one of two organizations in town that puts Ada on the map nationally and internationally. This village is famous for the made-in-Ada football and Ohio Northern University. In fact, both organizations have their logos painted on the town’s water towers.
Every January, the media descends on Ada prior to the Super Bowl. Now, the village has an evening of festivities and a football drop at midnight on Super Bowl Eve. Dan says that TV camera crews come to Ada from Canada and Mexico in addition to major U.S. outlets.
One special perk: he has been to 25 Super Bowl games. The company sets up a mini production line at the games every year for the fans to see how footballs are made.
Wilson is known for keeping employees a long time, many stay with the company more than 30 years. He credits that to not having layoffs, pride in the product, the work environment, and being paid by piece work which gives an employee the opportunity to control his or hers raise. Wilson employees 130 people at the Ada plant.
Every football ever played in the NFL has been Wilson-made. That is a big source of pride for the company and village. How does Wilson keep that contract and others, like high schools and the Canadian Football League? He says it’s due to quality service and producing the balls on time.
The plant produces only footballs made of leather, none of the cheap, foam balls that come out of China.
Plant tours for small groups are available by calling 419-634-9901. Many schools, 4H, senior citizen, and Scouting organizations tour the plant in a year’s time. He said retired employee Merle Cheney, now 93, is one of the tour guides.
Peter Thompson has been named plant manager. He has been working along side of Dan since October. He begins as plant manager on Monday.
