History
Our proud history inspires a prosperous future.
Tweet/Garot Mechanical, Inc., as it is currently known, was formed from a merger of three separate companies in 1979: Tweet Brothers Plumbing & Heating, Edward Garot & Son Plumbing and Heating, and Withbroe Sheet Metal. At the time of the merger, Andrew M. Tweet, Jr. became the President of Tweet/Garot Mechanical, Inc. and John E. Schneider was named the Executive Vice President of the newly merged firm.
Prior to that time, Tweet Brothers and Edward Garot & Son Company were each separate, yet distinctive, regional plumbing and heating firms that dated back respectively to 1924 and 1897. The 137 years of experience that these two companies brought to Tweet/Garot Mechanical, Inc. was unparalleled.
Tweet Brothers Plumbing & Heating was started in 1924 by Andrew M. Tweet, Sr. Shortly thereafter, his brother Norman B. (Pat) Tweet joined him and, together, they established a distinguished reputation in the Green Bay area for providing high-quality plumbing and heating installations. The firm maintained this identity through the 1950s until Andrew M. Tweet, Jr. joined the firm and expanded the range and type of services that Tweet Bros. Plumbing & Heating provided.
The history of Edward Garot & Son dates back to 1897. It prospered under the guidance of Edward Garot as a plumbing and heating firm in the early 1900's until his death in 1947. The firm was then managed by Mr. Bernard Garot. In the early 1950s, Mr. Louis Schneider became a partner of Bernard Garot and managed the company through 1968, when his son, Jack Schneider, purchased the company. Jack Schneider directed the company through the ’70s and was instrumental in effecting the merger with his long?time friend, Andrew M. Tweet, Jr.
The Withbroe Sheet Metal Company was started on January 1, 1923, by George L. Withbroe with a loan of $150 at that time. Their rent at 108 S. Broadway was $8 per month. George Withbroe used a pushcart to carry tools and light materials to the jobsite at first, but in 1925 bought a horse and wagon for deliveries. In 1930, the business was relocated to 198 W. Walnut, next to Tweet Brothers Plumbing and Heating, where it remained until it was sold to Tweet Brothers in 1964.
The idea to merge the three firms in 1979 was born of a need to provide a major single-source for all the plumbing, heating, sheet metal, and service requirements of the ever-growing community of Green Bay. The combination of skills that Tweet Brothers and the Edward Garot & Son firms brought, along with the ever-growing need for the ventilation skills present at Withbroe Sheet Metal, allowed the merged firm to present a singular source for the mechanical requirements of Green Bay’s commercial and industrial sectors.
In 1979, the newly created firm moved to a new 34,000-square-foot fabrication facility, warehouse and office in the Packerland Industrial Park. This move allowed for expanded fabrication capacity and provided easy access to the highways that would soon become a vital part of Tweet/Garot's future.
Tweet/Garot Mechanical prospered through the early 1980s under the direction of Andrew M. Tweet, Jr. until his untimely death in January of 1984. At that time, Timothy Howald assumed the role of President, and the management and employees of Tweet/Garot Mechanical accepted the challenge of continuing to provide innovative leadership in the mechanical contracting industry in Green Bay. Tweet/Garot Mechanical emphasized quality work at a reasonable price and began to concentrate heavily in the industrial sector, primarily in the paper making process, and in the commercial sector, with a focus on the ever-growing healthcare field.
In the mid 1980s, the business continued to expand primarily as a result of the tremendous work ethic of its employees and management team. Mike Sturdivant, Vice President of HVAC operations and Tom Brawner, Vice President of Plumbing Operations, established Tweet/Garot as the industry leader in projects of “significance.” During this time span, Tweet/Garot Mechanical was involved in virtually every project of impact in the Green Bay area. Soon their growth carried over to the Fox Cities, the Lakeshore, Sturgeon Bay, and other Northeast Wisconsin locations as Tweet/Garot continued to impress and service their demanding customers.
In 1985, Tweet/Garot successfully completed a major rebuild of the #1 Paper Machine at Badger Paper in Peshtigo, Wisconsin. This marked a new era as the pulp & paper industry from that day forward took on new significance for Tweet/Garot. Through the latter part of the 1980s, Tweet/Garot continued to prosper as it focused on the pulp & paper industry, the ever-expanding healthcare field, and other projects of complexity.
In 1991, Tweet/Garot completed a project for Consolidated Papers in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, that would also have an impact on its future. The project involved installing all of the make-up air systems, ventilation systems, and process exhaust systems for Consolidated Papers’ new #16 Paper Machine. During and after the culmination of that challenging project, interest surfaced for establishing and maintaining a presence in Wisconsin Rapids. As a result, Tweet/Garot opened an office and fabrication facility in Wisconsin Rapids in 1994.
Meanwhile, with the growing importance of the pulp & paper industry to Tweet/Garot’s business, a new position, Manager of Pulp & Paper/Special Projects, was created and successfully filled by Ray Withbroe. Ray’s position involved primary responsibility for all facets of Tweet/Garot’s work in the pulp & paper industry, with all pulp & paper project managers reporting directly to him. This provided a balance within Tweet/Garot that allowed our HVAC, plumbing, pulp & paper, and service divisions to function with a clear direction and mandate.
In 1996 the position of Service Manager was assigned to Greg Wierzba. Since that time, Greg has developed our service business into a vital part of our organization, employing approximately sixteen service technicians.
In 1999, in order to be even more efficient due to the continuing growth of the pulp & paper division, Ray Withbroe was promoted to Vice President, Industrial Division.
The early 2000s brought additional technology changes to Tweet/Garot as our computerized estimating and CAD drafting capabilities became state-of-the-art. Computer networking, as well as Internet access, e-mail, and other communication enhancements also became a part of doing everyday business. New accounting endeavors aimed at departmentalizing the company were initiated and profit centers were established for all divisions and remote locations. Automated duct-making machinery for fabricating both rectangular and round ductwork was added to increase shop efficiency and overall competitiveness.
The year 2001 was highlighted by receiving our largest-ever plumbing and HVAC project, the Lambeau Field Redevelopment Project for the Green Bay Packers. The project was successfully completed in June 2003 and remains a source of great pride for all employees of Tweet/Garot Mechanical.
In 2004, Tweet/Garot was awarded all of the mechanical work (plumbing, sheet metal, piping, HVAC) for the new St. Clare’s Hospital in Weston, WI. This new 433,000-square-foot hospital further reinforced Tweet/Garot’s position of strength as the mechanical contractor of choice in the healthcare field within northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The years of 2005 and 2006 were highlighted by the major utilization of duct co-ordination drawings and 3D modeling to provide more cost-effective mechanical systems, including automatic downloading of information to duct fabrication machinery. This ultimately led to Tweet/Garot’s leadership in the BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology currently being utilized on most projects of significance. The year 2006 also saw the start of the Weston IV project for Wisconsin Public Service Corporation in Weston, Wisconsin. Tweet/Garot provided all of the HVAC and process ventilation systems for this new WPS coal-fired facility, which has led to additional energy opportunities throughout the country.
In 2007 Tweet/Garot entered the Food Processing Equipment fabrication business under the leadership of Rod LeFevre. We began to manufacture chutes, hoppers, conveyors, platforms, and other specialized equipment for the food and dairy industry in an additional 27,000-square-foot fabrication facility. Our FPE Division has become a vital part of Tweet/Garot’s industry-specific solutions and services offered.
Also in 2007, Tweet/Garot was awarded the mechanical work on the Froedtert Cancer Pavilion in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and another milestone project was completed successfully. This project, as well as others, led Tweet/Garot to open a new sales office in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in 2008 to serve the needs of the ever-growing Milwaukee area. Mr. Dan Jasicki, with a wealth of knowledge regarding HVAC systems and vast experience working in the Milwaukee marketplace, was selected to manage this endeavor.
Also in 2008, to insure the future well being of the company, Ray Withbroe was promoted to a new position as COO (Chief Operating Officer) of the company, and Mike Sturdivant was elevated to a new position of Executive Vice President. At that same time David Carter was appointed Division Manager of HVAC, Steve Schneider continued as Division Manager of Plumbing, and Mark Hill was chosen as Division Manager of Sheet Metal, Industrial Ventilation, and Boiler Services.
In 2009, Tweet/Garot Mechanical worked extensively in numerous healthcare facilities, pulp & paper locations, power plants, chemical plants, and other industrial endeavors. We recently installed a new underground heating system for the Minnesota Twins new Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Green Bay Packers’ new Nitschke Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Tweet/Garot Mechanical continues to maintain 350+ employees.
Read the President’s Message here.
