Show spotlights street sweeper made in Elgin
Factory work may not normally be an occupation that brings fame and glory, but workers from the Elgin Sweeper Co. on Thursday were the exception.
They got their chance to shine thanks to John Ratzenberger, host of the 30-minute "Made in America" Travel Channel series that profiles products made in this country by interviewing the workers who build them.
Ratzenberger, most famous for his role as Cliff the mailman on "Cheers," spent the entire day at the Elgin factory with a crew, shooting scenes for an episode due to air in January or February.
It will detail how employees create the Pelican street sweeper -- the company's most popular machine -- from start to finish. Ratzenberger also planned on test driving a Pelican in Bartlett.
Previous episodes featured workers from Crayola Crayons, Hallmark Cards, Campbell's Soup and Zildjian cymbals.
Though the people toiling away in U.S. factories do so without much recognition, Ratzenberger, who says his mother worked in a factory and that he used carpentry to put himself through college, says it is they who are the backbone of America.
"It's not athletes and basketball players. It's not rock musicians. It's not TV news anchors," Ratzenberger said. "It's the factory workers and the products that they make. That's what keeps us going."
Elgin Sweeper Co. has been around since 1914.
John Murphy, the company's founder, invented the world's first sweeping machine that picked up and disposed of litter.
Billed as the "world's most popular three-wheel broom sweeper," the Pelican is a celebrity in its own right, based on a design that's been constantly updated since the company's inception. In May, the company unveiled its latest version to Elgin Mayor Ed Schock and other city dignitaries.
Locally, you'll find the Pelican sweeping the streets of Elgin, Franklin Park, Villa Park, Streamwood and Chicago.
Jet setters will see it in Thailand, parts of Europe, Canada, Mexico, South America and the Middle East, said Mike Higgins, vice president of sales for Environmental Solutions Group -- Elgin Sweepers' parent company.
The Pelican also was featured in "Jersey Girl," a movie starring Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck.
And it was the Pelican's ubiquity -- and the fact that it's made in America -- that made it an easy choice for the show, Ratzenberger said.
"It's an iconic machine," he said.
While the crew was filming inside the factory, at least a half dozen workers looked on through slats in a nearby shelf to watch Ratzenberger interview their colleague, Dennis Curtis.
Curtis, a master welder living in Elgin, couldn't contain his excitement once the cameras stopped rolling.
He was all smiles and downright giddy, calling the interview with Ratzenberger a "once in a lifetime" opportunity.
"I'm just filled with joy," said Curtis, a six-year employee. "I'm happy as can be."