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COZAD, Neb. - The Cozad Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate Nebraska Plastics on their 70th Anniversary! They got their start as a Cozad business with Milo German in 1945 after inventing the use of siphon tubes for irrigation in the PlatteValley. Milo wanted to use aluminum for siphon tubes but all aluminum was being used in the war effort. So, he started playing around with a new material called “plastic” and in 1945, Milo started what is now the oldest family owned plastic extrusion company in the world. This relatively new company was starting to grow when, in 1957; Milo crashed his plane in a pasture south of Ashby, Nebraska and was killed along with two others. The fledgling company needed someone to manage it. At age 22, Rex German’s mother came to him for help. Rex quit teaching school which was his love and passion at the time and began a new career as a local businessman.
However, Rex’s passion for education also helped him in the business world. He believed to be successful, he needed to continue learning and growing his own knowledge. He attended Harvard Business School Executive Education Program. While there, he even substitute taught the class he was taking when the instructor was not able to be there.
Plastics transformed agriculture in the PlatteValley once again by inventing above ground PVC gated irrigation pipe. While doing this, Nebraska Plastics (in concert with Dow Chemical) developed the first above ground weatherable PVC compound. This new product became very popular with farmers by greatly reducing the labor needed to irrigate. During this time, Nebraska Plastics also developed the first tongue and groove PVC plank for walls in hog confinement units along with hog slats for flooring.
In the late 1970s, Rex and his wife, Lois moved their family to the family farm east of town. After buying a couple horses for their kids, they needed a new fence and he installed a fence made out of PVC profiles Nebraska Plastics was making for other industries. The result was the very first vinyl fence in the world.
In 1978, he started marketing this new product to the fence industry. After many rejections from traditional fence companies, the product finally took off by finding non-fence people who had the same passion for innovation that he did. What grew from that is now a worldwide industry. Nebraska Plastics competes with manufacturers of vinyl fence worldwide while selling to thousands of independent contractors in North America and over 20 foreign countries.
Once again, he had transformed an industry with a product that was more durable and maintenance free than what was traditionally being used.
A number of famous people who have purchased Country Estate Products include: Paul Harvey, Tom Selleck, Roseanne Barr, Louis Farrakhan (Fairikawn), Whitney Houston, Wayne Newton, Merv Griffin, Mel Gibson, Terry Bowden, Ron Guidry (Gidree) (NY Yankees), Dr. Murdock (founder of Dole Pineapple), Lawrence Ellison (Founder of Oracle).
Some famous places that have installed Country Estate Products are: Opryland, Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Busch Gardens, Santa Anita Race Track, CSU Equestrian Center and school of veterinary medicine, Lazy E Ranch, Hollywood Park Race Track, Richard Nixon Presidential Library, Budweiser Brewery, LSU school of Veterinary Medicine, Guantanamo Bay Cuba, Hidden Valley Ranch, Sea World.
When Rex took over Nebraska Plastics in 1957, they had 30 employees and were in an 11,000 square foot building. Seventy years later, the business now employs around 100 people and is housed in over 91,000 square feet and is currently managed by Rex’s son, Paul German. They have 45 times the production capacity they originally had when he took over.
Rex and his wife Lois raised 4 children (Milo, Sid, Amy and Paul) who all work in key areas of the business located throughout the US. All four children were together for the Nebraska Plastics 70th Anniversary Celebration that took place Saturday, July 25 at Nebraska Plastics.
After 57 years of marriage, Rex and Lois still live on the family farm east of Cozad. While sitting at their dining room table they can still look out and see the very first vinyl fence in the world and are surrounded by fields of corn and soybeans being irrigated by PVC gated pipe.
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