SPENCERVILLE - In a span of 10 years, Rhinehart Finishing has shown it is up to commercial and military finishing standards.

Recently, the company completed an audit and now meets finishing standards for Osh Kosh Defense, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of severe-duty military vehicles.

Rhinehart paints parts for Osh Kosh's M-ATV, a medium-sized armored vehicle.

Osh Kosh has a goal of having 5,000 M-ATVs in use by March 1. For its part, Rhinehart handles quick-turn painting of parts in a 36-hour window, from delivery to shipment.

Parts are delivered by truck to Rhinehart for painting from second-tier suppliers. Finished parts are then trucked either to that second-tier supplier or to another destination for assembly.

"Our people understand what they'redoing will be in Afghanistan and there will be people's lives depending on it," explained Rhinehart sales manager Scott Sprunger.

The Osh Kosh audit process began last January and was completed in November, but Rhinehart received temporary approval so it could begin painting for Osh Kosh by October, Sprunger noted.

"This was the most thorough audit we've ever been through, and that's a good thing because it makes us better," Sprunger said.

Rhinehart Development, sister company of Rhinehart Finishing, got its start in the agricultural industry in 1945, but expanded into other fields, including making parts and components for government prime contractors.

Rhinehart Finishing was established in 2000. Less than a year after opening, Rhinehart Finishing achieved Tank Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) certification for the U.S. Department of the Army, according to the company's Web site.

Osh Kosh, Sprunger explained, has stringent quality standards in place so it can trace all steps in the finishing and manufacturing process.

This latest certification means Rhinehart Finishing is able to finish parts for every major military manufacturer in the country.

"This offers stability," Sprunger said. "We have the ability to diversify with different military contracts."

Last July, Rhinehart broke ground for a 22,500-square-foot warehouse that includes a secure tool crib and testing area and an explosion-proof paint storage room.

The timing of the expansion couldn't have been better. The warehouse was finished in October.

"Some of these parts (for Osh Kosh) are rather large," Sprunger said. "Without that expansion, we wouldn't be able to move."

Rhinehart has added some material handler positions and production personnel with the expansion. Additional employees may be needed in the future, Sprunger said.

Rhinehart Finishing employs more than 100 people and has approximately 150,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space under roof.

"We take great pride we've never laid off," he said. "We take extreme pride we've been able to grow in this economy."