hen it comes to running a business, it's the little things that make the day flow more easily. And when the product that helps a business organize its day-to-day operations is made in small-town America, it's a win for everyone involved.

This is the story of Vic's Time in Palmerton, which builds custom metal time card racks and time clock enclosures and multipurpose metal racks."To our customers, this product is very important," said Dyanne Kistler, a second-generation employee at the family-run company.She said the primary business has traditionally been time card racks, but as manually punching in on a time clock has gone out of fashion, the company has adapted.They still offer time card racks, but also sell the enclosures necessary to protect more high-tech time clocks that might use a digital sign-in or card swipe."It's changed how our products are used, but these products are still useful," she said. "It makes keeping track of payroll a lot easier."The company also offers secure key boxes and a wide variety of metal multipurpose racks in various sizes. These racks might be used to store ID badges, medical charts, business forms, or literature and magazines on display."Our business has definitely changed over time," Kistler said. "But it's still a good business. It's not often that we have nothing to do."Every product starts as a large, flat sheet of metal, which is cut to size using a large shear. Once cut to size, sheets are manually pressed and crimped, and then fed into an automated machine that will punch the holes needed on secure locked cabinets and other products, or for holes needed to secure racks to the wall.A pocket machine is used to stamp out individual pockets and add a hem. Depending on the size of the project, a spot welder or full-sized welder is used to attach pockets to their racks.The finished product is cleaned to remove any residual oils, and then loaded into a paint booth for electrostatic powder coating. Coated products are heat treated and packaged for shipment.Vic's Time was founded by Vic Jahelka in Brooklyn in 1977. Jahelka was visiting his father in Palmerton when he noticed a building on Delaware Avenue for sale, and realized that moving his business into the town would make sense. He moved to Palmerton with his family, including three young children, in 1987. Today, those children run the business. Vic's Time is now owned by Vic's son, Chris Jahelka.While their concept is simple, Vic's Time offers a 12-page brochure for customers and its distributors, listing dozens of size and capacity options for its time card and multipurpose racks. The company can also coat its products in nine colors, although blue, red and gray are most frequently used. Custom colors are available upon request, and the company has also done powder coating for individuals with larger metal projects that might be difficult to paint or powder coat at home."It's not as simple as a one-sized product," said Kistler, who noted that today's customers are either looking for a rack that will fit a specific space or hold a specific folder or magazine, or a time clock that requires a precise fit in a secure enclosure. As the design of time clocks changes, the company has also had to adapt and change."We can do custom work, as long as they know what they're looking for and what size materials they're putting into the racks," she said.The company doesn't have much domestic competition, as they are one of the few metal rack manufacturers in the United States. In fact, a significant portion of their products are shipped internationally, with the bulk of their exported sales going to Europe. Their main domestic competition comes from manufacturers creating plastic display racks cabinets.