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Shutdown could paralyze Quad Cities company

A Quad Cities company that has continued to see growth, may soon come to a halt. Mandus Group is a defensive contractor that is located in Rock Island. They sup...
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A Quad Cities company that has continued to see growth, may soon come to a halt.

Mandus Group is a defensive contractor that is located in Rock Island. They supply the U.S. military and international agencies with a vast array of products.

Sam Kupresin is the owner and started the business in a garage in 1998. Since then, Mandus Group have seen substantial growth, employing over 40 people.

The government shutdown may jeopardize that number.

“If the shutdown were to go longer, and if it would deteriorate where people would be laid off again, certainly that could affect our business,” said Kupresin.

Currently, Mandus group is in a contract with the U.S. Army. They are supplying the Army with several of their hydraulic service test and repair units.

When a military vehicle breaks down, these units can come to vehicles and save time, rather than towing the vehicle.

But the Army receives it’s funding from the federal government, and if the shutdown continues, the Army may not receive the additional funding.

“If we can’t deliver our main product to the army then we have to cancel our shipments of components that go into these products,” said Kupresin.

A domino effect would then occur.

Mandus Group has 30 vendors that they receive supplies from. If shipping stops from Mandus Group, then those vendors shipping to Mandus Group will also halt.

“What affects us will affect them, and what affects them will affect their sub contractors as well. So it’s just a big ripple effect,” said Kupresin.

That ripple could cripple several businesses, many which are local.

For now, Mandus Group will continue to work. All Sam Kupresin can do is hope for the government to compromise.

“Of course everybody is worried just like we are so we just go one day at a time and hope everything gets resolved.”

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