Mike Reherard. , left, shows off his thank you card while attending a lunch in his honor on Oct. 5. Ken McCombs Jr., center, and Ken McCombs III, right, are also pictured. Reherard retired after working 18 years at McCombs Supply Co. Inc.

Former UDS Participant Retires At McCombs Supply

Neither rain, nor sleet nor snow kept Mike Reherard away.

No, he was not a postal carrier, though he did receive packages and prepared items for mailing.

For 18 years Reherard punched a time clock at  McCombs Supply Co., Inc., a family-owned appliance parts business in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, getting a ride to work if the weather was bad – not even blizzards kept him from coming to work.

Monday through Saturday morning Reherard came into McCombs, 346 North Marshall Street - hung the American flag outside (weather permitting) – and went to work in the receiving department, the hub for incoming parts at McCombs.

Reherard, 64, came to McCombs on a recommendation from  United Disabilities Service in Lancaster.

After doctors determined Reherard had scoliosis of the spine, he was forced to retire from McCombs when the pain in is back increased. 

A former oversees construction worker, Reherard took a computer class and received training for clerk work, prior to working at McCombs. 

His clerical background, work ethic and emphasis on paying attention to detail made him an ideal fit for McCombs, where he worked until his health (back issues) caused him to retire in July.

“I liked the idea of working with computers and I liked the atmosphere,” he said about working at McCombs. “Ken Jr. and Ken III were not just supervisors, but friends. It was a good atmosphere for working and I thought I’d stay here.

“If not for my back, I’d still be here. I figured I’d work until my health didn’t hold up. My back just couldn’t handle it.”

Many UDS participants works in packaging at McCombs Supply. 

Lois Newswenger, previously the director of vocational services and currently a part-time vocational counselor with United Disabilities Service, met Ken McCombs Jr. at the YMCA and the two became friends. She asked McCombs if he was hiring and relationship with UDS began.

Reherard was McCombs’ first hire from UDC. Since then, 32 UDC participants have worked at McCombs Supply, handling duties in packaging, receiving and  picking parts for packaging. 

In the early years, McCombs hired one or two UDC participants a year, but as the appliance parts business grew, the hires increased.

Nadine Kuziemkowski, UDC’s manager of vocational services, often shadows a new hire to make sure the participant is comfortable with the work.

“I always feel good leaving them there,” Kuziemkowski said. “I love them (the UDS participants). They are all good guys. I try to send (McCombs) guys that might need a little tender loving care. Some are a little corky and need a little extra attention and Kenny (Ken McCombs III) provides that.”

She said McCombs has hired UDS participants dealing with a range of issues including Autism, bi-polar, head injuries, multiple sclerosis, mental health, attention deficit disorder, muscular dystrophy, depression and English as a second language.

  "They (McCombs) really are the best example of how smaller business can utilize people with disabilities and be successful," Kuziemkowski said. 

The relationship, between UDS and McCombs works because of what Ken McCombs Jr. started and his son Ken McCombs III continues. It is all about being patient. 

Leadership at McCombs has an understanding of the UDS employees' needs and takes more time to know them as an individual, allowing them are able to flourish, Kuziemkowski said.

“If you are going to help people you have to put up with challenges,” Kuziemkowski said. “The business is in the city and that helps with transportation. The jobs are concrete. People with Autism excel at any job with strict repetition. Once they master it, they are good to go. Some individuals are better at scanning, other at packing products.

“I’ve kind of done it with Kenny (Ken McCombs III) so long that I know who would do well.”

Reherard is a good example of a UDS hire working out well. Starting in 1999 as a part-time employee, he asked and became full-time in 2003. It was important for him to stop relying on the government for financial assistance, he said.

He could not do construction anymore, but Reherard said he wanted to work until he retired. He was 45 years old and didn’t want to be on disability or social security if he didn’t have to.

It felt good to be off social security and disability, he said, adding that he enjoyed receiving and doing other clerk work. He relearned how to run a forklift and began moving McCombs’ products to different warehouses. He also helped haul cardboard for recycling.

Reherard said the beginning of a month was always the busiest for deliveries, as Ken McCombs Jr. ordered more products and the receiving area stacked up with eight to 10 skids of Packard, Fasco and other replacement parts for  many other brands of appliances. Everything seemed to come in at one time, he said.

He recalled moving ice makers like the popular IM597 from one warehouse to another with the forklift and receiving a shipment of dryer elements ( part number 279838) just in time to fill back orders.

He prepared countless boxes of ignitgors, like the  AR403, and bake and broil elements, like the  CH775 bake element and boxes and boxes of Robert Shaw parts, like the 5500-200M infinite switch control.

It was Reherard’s job to sort it all out, and he loved it.

The 1971 Donegal graduate was a world traveler. A soccer player in high school, he earned four varsity letters, making Honorable Mention as a junior and 2 ^nd team All-County as a senior.

Reherard was selected to play on a high school All-Star soccer team in Europe, playing games and touring England, Germany, Spain and Portugal. 

There was time for sighting seeing, as he saw bull fighting, Big Ben, the changing of the guard and other historic sites.

As an adult, he worked in construction oversees in Saudi Arabia (twice) and Israel (once). He built schools in Saudi Arabia and army camps in Israel for the Israeli army.

“It was before terrorism,” he said “It was a different time.”

On October 5, McCombs had a retirement meal

in Reherard’s honor. 

  Lancaster Hamburger Company’s food truck served
 each employee two deluxe hamburgers, an order of   French fries and a milkshake.

Reherard said he appreciated the gesture and said that after a month of physical exercises his back was a lot stronger and his pain was not there.

“I didn’t want to retire, but I had no choice,” he said. “If not for a medical issue I’d still be working.”

No matter if there was rain, sleet or snow. 

McCombs Supply employees and family enjoy a lunch by Lancaster Burger Company in honor of Mike Reherard. 

About Us

McCombs Supply Company, Inc.

In business since 1953, McCombs Supply Co., Inc. is a third-generation family-owned business that specializes in fast, reliable shipping.

Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, McCombs Supply Co., Inc. offers replacement repair parts for dishwashers, dryers, microwaves, range-ovens, refrigerators, washing machines, HVAC, commercial refrigeration, commercial cooking, pellet stove parts and more. Some of our manufacturers we distribute for include – Backer-Chromolox, Broan-Nutone, Exact Replacement Parts (ERP), EZ Flo, Fasco, Mastercool, ICM, JW Harris, Packard, Robertshaw, Sealed Unit Parts Company (SUPCO), White Rodgers, Englander, Breckwell, Harman, Lennox, Napoleon, St. Croix and Quadra-Fire.

We supply contractors, service technicians, housing developments, hospitals, retirement communities, institutions, and do-it-yourselfers.

Today, we have nearly one million SKUs in our system. We are constantly upgrading our cutting-edge technology to serve our customers better.

Copyright 2017