THE BRIEF HISTORY OF REINKE SHAKES
In July of 1974 Reinke Mfg. Co. of Deshler Nebraska celebrated selling the 1000th. Electrogator, pivot irrigation system. In the news article that followed, they announced that they would soon be manufacturing a lifetime shingle. This became the Reinke Shake. The first installation, however, wasn’t till December of 1976, on a garage. The first house was shingled in February of 1977.
Reinke Mfg. Co. made the metal shingles, Reinke Shakes, as a division of the company. In 1981 they sold this division out of the Company, to Richard Reinke. He personally operated the company for a short time and sold it to GoBe Inc. of Dallas Texas. GoBe Inc. was owned by two couples, but after the death of one of the owners and excellent success in another business venture, the remaining owners lost interest in the shingles and began a sale of the business to Mr. Johnson of Lincoln Nebraska. Corrupt legal aid hired by the purchaser left him with a mess and no shingle business. Richard Reinke who still held a note for part of the business, contacted all entities involved and bought up the pieces, including the Reinke Shakes name, and once again owned Reinke Shakes in 1992. Richard’s youngest son, Robert began managing the business in 1993. He took the business from near zero sales up to average historical sales in just two years. He was soon promoted to President of Reinke Shakes Inc., an office he held until shortly after his father’s death in 2003.
In October of 2003 the Reinke family voted to dissolve the company and Robert and Becky Reinke purchased the machinery and inventory. They now operate the business as a division of JAME KARI LLC a company named from the first 2 letters of their four children.
Reinke Shakes produces both Aluminum and Copper shingles. They have been installed in all 50 states and several foreign countries. Proud owners of geodesic dome homes have called them the ‘Cadillac’ of dome roofing. A casino in the netherlands, and the tallest skyscraper in Mobile Alabama sport roofs of copper Reinke Shakes shingles, as well as many church steeples.
The shingles are still manufactued in Hebron Nebraska, as they were through all the changes in ownership. Reinke Shakes weathered the economic trials of 2009 and looks toward continued success in the years to come.
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