425 Manufacturing in Rockford helps Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary upgrade its cat cages
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A local manufacturer is helping Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary upgrade the cages where cats stay while they wait to be adopted from the no-kill shelter.
425 Manufacturing, a locally owned shop that specializes in aftermarket parts for the mining and blast hole drill industry, ran a special “From Shop Floor to Shelter Door” promotion this month. It raised money for three new triple-level cat cages for the shelter at 111 N. First St. in downtown.
The company donated $20 from every sale of a drill steel support this month toward purchasing the new structures.
“We really need new cat cages, they really get worn down in time and we’ve had them for a long time,” said Brooke Pond, shelter manager. “They really get wear and tear on them and they’re expensive to replace.”
425 Manufacturing owner Mike Thomason and two members of his team, Dave Poe and Juan Meza, made the delivery to Noah’s Ark on Thursday morning.
“For any business to reach out and want to help means the world to us, and it means the world to our animals,” Pond said. “We get no government funding, so any community support is how we stay afloat.”
Thomason said his 10-year-old company’s efforts to give back to the community have become a point of pride for employees. He asks employees about causes they want to support, and Noah’s Ark has been at the top of the list. Some of the company’s other efforts have included sending 2,100 pounds of pet food to shelters in South Carolina after Hurricane Helene and delivering thousands of toys to the Salvation Army for the holidays.
“It’s just trying to make our community a better place for everybody,” Thomason said. “Rockford has helped us to get started. Everyone has reached out to us and helped us get to where we’re at. Now that we’re established, we’re reaching out and doing everything we can to give back.”
Noah’s Ark houses anywhere from 150 to 200 animals at any time. Pond said they plan to replace one aging cage and use the other two to expand housing for animals.
“We’re really grateful for the support,” Pond said. “Mike and everyone at 425 Manufacturing has been super helpful to us, and we’re excited to work with them more in the future.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
