Flashback Friday

In honor of Mark's daughter, Casey, getting married today, we have a couple pictures from her youth. We're keeping it simple this week, as it's now time to go to the wedding!

Learning to work the machinery at an early age!

Casey hugging Mark & Bo's late nephew, Nick.

Casey with her fiance, Rey.

Flashback Friday

Business owners Bo and Mark Buchanan take pride in the fact that many bo-mar employees have been around since the early years of the company.  bo-mar has been fortunate enough to build long-standing relationships with its employees.  Since starting the sheet metal business in 1991, Bo and Mark have made great friends--with employees, customer, and vendors. One of our welders, for instance, has been with bo-mar for 17 years!    

Randy, shown here running the laser cutter in the old building, is now our main waterjet operator.

[photo circa 1995] 

Ken, who has worked at bo-mar since 1996, is now the night shift foreman. 

[photo circa 1998] 

Where You've Seen Our Lighting Projects

In recent years, bo-mar has been involved in a number of lighting jobs.  From ecclesiastical lighting to restaurant lighting, bo-mar has the vision and engineering capabilities to deliver a great product. We've manufactured and installed lighting fixtures for Purdue University's biomedical building, the new JW Marriott, the Central Library, and the Indiana Repertory Theatre, among others. 

Lighting for Purdue University

 Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis

Cental Library lights

JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis





Indiana Repertory Theatre

A restaurant in downtown Indianapolis

For more pictures of our various lighting projects, check out our photo gallery on facebook.

Flashback Friday

Recently, we were able to find a handful of bo-mar pictures from the early 1990s.  This week we will feature more pictures of Nitro, the barn doberman, in the office.  She was such a good dog!

A Quick Job Turnaround

Last month, a customer came to bo-mar with a job that had to get done right away.  Snap-on needed a giant wrench to take to a trade show in Orlando, Florida.  They wanted guests to be able to walk through the head of the wrench as they entered their display.  The wrench was made of wood, metal and foam, and it stood 17 1/2 feet tall, making an 8 foot tall tunnel.  In order to allow easy transport, the wrench had to be built in three separate pieces that would fit together at the trade show.  bo-mar spent four solid days and nights making sure the wrench would be completed before it left the shop floor on August 17th!

Here are a few pictures of the process:

Flashback Friday

In honor of Mark's upcoming birthday on Sunday (9/11), we decided to use this week's Flashback Friday to show off some classic photos of the younger Buchanan brother's past. 

Happy Birthday, Mark!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 On another, sadder note: bo-mar would like to take this opportunity to remember the horrible attacks our country faced nearly 10 years ago.  Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the tragic event!

[Taken at Lucas Oil Raceway on Labor Day]

Labor Day Weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway

Every Labor Day weekend, bo-mar owners Bo and Mark take a group of customers, vendors, employees, friends, and family members out to Raceway Park in Clermont, Indiana for the biggest drag race of the season. This is a tradition as old as bo-mar itself.  While some guests have become regulars, others experienced their first drag race this year.  Bo and Mark always enjoy sharing their knowledge of the sport and love to see the look on a customer's face when they hear a Top Fuel car go down the track for the first time!  Because bo-mar has a good relationship with so many race teams, Bo and Mark are often able to enhance their guests' experience with a couple autographs and driver introductions.  What a great way to show customers, vendors, and employees a good time!      

Longtime bo-mar employees, Adam and David, ready for more Sunday qualifying

Bo and family friend, Tom, waiting in the staging lanes

Bo and Mark's dad (Bob Sr.) used his '59 Mercury as a pushcar in this year's cacklefest.  As the parade was beginning, we spotted an admired customer.

Mark's daughter, Kelly, with her grandpa, Bob Sr.

Mark and Bo watching Sunday qualifying

Mark's daughter with 2011 U.S. Nationals Top Fuel winner, Antron Brown

      

Flashback Friday

While the Buchanan boys weren't racing their own dragster, or working on a race car team, they remained dedicated drag racing fans.  They have been going to the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals every Labor Day weekend since they were kids.  Throughout the years, Bob and Mark also ventured out of town to other drag races.  For this Flashback Friday, we have old photographs of some big names in drag racing history--during their prime. 

  

Mark and Bob as spectators at Englishtown, New Jersey in the mid-1980s.



Pro-Stock driver Bob Glidden at Indianapolis Raceway Park circa 1984.  Glidden went on to win five championships from 1985-1989.  In 1994, he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame, and in 2001 he was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

Funny Car driver Kenny "King of Speed" Bernstein at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals circa 1984.  Bernstein was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009.  He maintained a sponsorship from Budweiser for 30 years--the longest in motorsports history. 

Racing legend Don "Big Daddy" Garlits about to race Connie Kalitta at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals circa 1984. Garlits is known as the "father of drag racing" and has been inducted into several halls of fame.  He is ranked number one on the National Hot Rod Association's Top 50 Drivers from 1951-2000 list. 

Connie "The Bounty Hunter" Kalitta at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals circa 1984.  Kalitta, father of the late Scott Kalitta and uncle of current driver Doug Kalitta, was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1992 and the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2002. 

Driver Joe Amato at Pomona, California circa 1984.  Amato has been inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and most recently, the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. 

Where You've Seen Our Work......[in Brownsburg]

For those of you headed to Brownsburg, Indiana for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals this week, you might see some of our custom metal fabrication projects around town.  Here at bo-mar, we're proud to say we have done (and continue to do) work for many of the professional race teams.  From manufacturing car parts for Alan Johnson Racing, to designing and installing custom countertops for John Force Racing, bo-mar keeps a positive relationship with the race teams. Here are some examples of our work:

In late 2008, bo-mar did the metal work for this receptionist desk in the John Force Racing lobby.

In 2008 & 2009, we designed and installed several stainless steel countertops throughout John Force's building. 

bo-mar also had a custom metal project with Kenny Bernstein Racing.  In 2008, we built these handrails for their race shop out in Brownsburg.

The sport of drag racing is such a big part of Mark and Bob's lives.  At bo-mar, we value our relationship with the race teams (such as John Force Racing, R2B2 Racing, Alan Johnson Racing, Don Schumacher Racing, Morgan Lucas Racing, Bruce Litton Racing) and look forward to more projects like these in the future!