For this episode of the Rottler Featured Series we’re in Kearney, Nebraska, home of BluePrint Engines where they’re building crate engines for every type of horsepower enthusiast in a state-of-the-art, 210,000-square-foot factory.

Founded in 1982 by owner and CEO Norris Marshall BluePrint made a name for itself designing and building small block and big block Chevy engines as well as small block Fords for the classic car and show markets. Marshall calls it a “niche” market, but his company has put out more than 120,000 engines in the past decade using all new components designed and built by BluePrint. That’s a pretty good-sized niche!

These days BluePrint is also building EPA-certified industrial engines for gas-powered machinery and has a successful line of crate engines for the performance market.

Walk BluePrint’s factory floor and you can’t help but notice banks of Rottler red and black-striped machines working alongside BluePrint staff to churn out these in-demand engines. One section, features and entire cell of H85AXY automatic hones, all humming away on BluePrint blocks while one operator works nearby.

“Every block we do comes through these hones,” Marshall told us. “They’re fully automated; people only load and unload the block. One person can run several machines, so it’s a very efficient use of labor,” he said.

Having those kinds of efficiencies in his manufacturing facilities allows BluePrint to focus on engineering new innovations rather than laborious processes. That, in turn, allows the company to turn out higher quality products that deliver affordable, reliable horsepower to his customers.

Marshall notes that they’ve had Rottler machines on their factory floor for over 15 years and continue to invest in new, more advanced equipment like the H85AXY that can roll block over automatically. “We keep innovating just like Rottler does,” he said.

Check out the video!