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Another expansion for Postle Aluminum
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
2 min read
This will be Postle Aluminum Co.'s third expansion in eight years.
Even though most of the Elkhart-based company's largest clients are located nearby, it chose to make this more than $12.5 million expansion at its Cassopolis plant on Edwards Street. The company broke ground earlier this month and plans to be in full production March 1.
"We had multiple locations here in Indiana to consider," said Kevin Robinson, president and chief executive officer at the company. But, he explained, many factors made Cassopolis the best place for the expansion, including a $400,000 grant awarded to the village of Cassopolis specifically for the company to use for on-the-job training.
Postle, which was founded in 1974 by John Postle, produces and distributes extruded aluminum products. Its main focus is the recreational vehicle market, including companies such as Thor Industries Inc. and Forest River Inc., both in Elkhart; Jayco Inc., of Middlebury; Fleetwood RV Inc., of Decatur; and Monaco, of Wakarusa.
The company also serves other markets, including fencing, specialty trailer, aluminum fabrication, truck component and building products.
The Cassopolis plant, which has been open since 1999, has been steadily expanding. At first it had only one extrusion press, but a second was added in 2005 and a third in 2007. With this current expansion, the company will add a fourth press, which Robinson ordered from Japan.
Postle expanded the site's acreage from 10 to 13.1 and is building a new 52,500-square-foot building adjacent to its current plant. Over the next two years, the expansion should create 40 jobs.
As part of the expansion project, Postle is adding a wet-coat paint line.
This is a new process for the company, which will need to train its employees. The on-the-job training grant that Cassopolis received will help with this.
The Michigan Strategic Fund, which awarded the grant, stipulates that at least 21 of the 40 new jobs be given to low- to moderate-income workers. This, said Cynthia LaGrow, Cass County economic director in a phone interview, is good news for the community.
Robinson attributes the company's ability to expand to the improving economy.
Even though most of the Elkhart-based company's largest clients are located nearby, it chose to make this more than $12.5 million expansion at its Cassopolis plant on Edwards Street. The company broke ground earlier this month and plans to be in full production March 1.
"We had multiple locations here in Indiana to consider," said Kevin Robinson, president and chief executive officer at the company. But, he explained, many factors made Cassopolis the best place for the expansion, including a $400,000 grant awarded to the village of Cassopolis specifically for the company to use for on-the-job training.
Postle, which was founded in 1974 by John Postle, produces and distributes extruded aluminum products. Its main focus is the recreational vehicle market, including companies such as Thor Industries Inc. and Forest River Inc., both in Elkhart; Jayco Inc., of Middlebury; Fleetwood RV Inc., of Decatur; and Monaco, of Wakarusa.
The company also serves other markets, including fencing, specialty trailer, aluminum fabrication, truck component and building products.
The Cassopolis plant, which has been open since 1999, has been steadily expanding. At first it had only one extrusion press, but a second was added in 2005 and a third in 2007. With this current expansion, the company will add a fourth press, which Robinson ordered from Japan.
Postle expanded the site's acreage from 10 to 13.1 and is building a new 52,500-square-foot building adjacent to its current plant. Over the next two years, the expansion should create 40 jobs.
As part of the expansion project, Postle is adding a wet-coat paint line.
This is a new process for the company, which will need to train its employees. The on-the-job training grant that Cassopolis received will help with this.
The Michigan Strategic Fund, which awarded the grant, stipulates that at least 21 of the 40 new jobs be given to low- to moderate-income workers. This, said Cynthia LaGrow, Cass County economic director in a phone interview, is good news for the community.
Robinson attributes the company's ability to expand to the improving economy.
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