BluePrint finds its niche in performance engines

KEARNEY — One of the largest factories of its kind in the United States was the star of the show Friday as more than 150 representatives of the Automotive Engine Rebuilders Association talked shop and learned what's new at BluePrint Manufacturing in east Kearney.

BluePrint founder Norris Marshall hosted the gathering of AERA members. Last year Marshall was elected to the board of directors of an industrial group that caters to the auto aftermarket. He said in his campaign that he wished to give back to the organization that had contributed so much to his success.

”If I’m elected, we’re going to end up doing some things that people will tell us, ‘You just can’t do that,’" Marshall said during his campaign.

Marshall’s father was a hot rodder in the 1950s and piqued his son’s interest in cars and their engines. In 1982 Norris Marshall opened a small 4-man machine shop and rebuilt engines from locally-owned vehicles.

Later he learned about an operation in Kansas with more than 300 workers and expanded to rebuild engines on a much larger scale.

However, as technological advancements made engines last longer, the demand for rebuilt engines shrank dramatically. With the rebuilding industry faltering, Marshall launched BluePrint Engines. Rather than turning out rebuilt or modified engines, the new business built new engines from the crankshaft up.

Marshall and his Kearney factory also capitalized on a truck manufacturer’s decision to discontinue building large 8-liter engines. BluePrint’s sister company was born.

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