By TIM UNRUH
The Salina Journal

Click photo to enlarge

RYAN SODERLIN / The Salina Journal Gary (from left), Charlotte and Mike Weis relaunched Weis Fire & Safety Equipment in 1995 after selling their company to investors in 1990. The investors closed that business in 1994, but the Weises missed their involvement so they started a new company.

Weis Fire & Safety Equipment is expanding both ends of its business.

Weis is expanding its facility at 111 E. Pacific to increase production of fire trucks and other large-scale equipment.

In addition, it's purchased the assets of the extinguisher division of Municipal Emergency Services, formerly known as Danko Municipal Equipment Co., 808 N. 10th.

Weis sells and services fire trucks, from the water guns that are fitted onto pickup trucks to the $500,000 fire trucks.

Construction on a 50-foot-square addition to the building will begin in the next month. The contractor is Salina Building Systems, 200 E. Pacific

"We will manufacture a specialized fire-fighting apparatus that can be mounted to their existing chassis," said Mike Weis, co-owner, president and general manager of the firm.

Putting out fires

WHAT: Weis Fire & Safety Equipment WHERE: 111 E. Pacific HOURS: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-noon Satuday

The company has a backlog of orders "that has us manufacturing units for the next seven to eight months," Weis said. "It's very exciting."

The firm recently delivered two units to the Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department, which has bought a total of six from Weis, and there are units on order for the Abilene, Seward County (Liberal) and Leavenworth fire departments.

"We try to buy within our area," said Bob Sims, Abilene fire chief. "Abilene bought three trucks from Mike Weis' father. We're happy with the equipment. I think we're going to be tickled to death with the new equipment (a pumper fire truck) we're going to receive."

The other owners are Mike Weis' father, Gary Weis, the chief executive officer, and Gary's wife, Charlotte, the marketing manager, both of Cape Coral, Fla.

In addition to the fire trucks, Weis sells and services fire extinguishers, offers restaurant and paint booth fire suppression systems, fire alarms, sprinkler systems and fire exit signs.