EXPANSION … Packaging experts from ABC standing at the site of the future packaging plant.
By: Jennifer Ellison
64,000 square feet of land in Pioneer, Ohio will soon be the permanent site of a new packaging plant owned and operated by Altenloh – Brinck & Co. US, which is part of the Altenloh, Brinck & Co group based out of Ennepetal, Germany.
The American branch of the company has three major brands; SPAX, TRUFAST, and TRUFAST Walls, formerly Rodenhouse, which was purchased in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2015.
SPAX produces quality fasteners for the construction market, while TRUFAST focuses on the commercial roofing industry, and TRUFAST Walls produces exterior building materials and facades.
Most of the manufacturing, administration and warehousing for the American branch is headquartered out of Bryan, Ohio in their massive 200,000 square foot complex where the main engineering and manufacturing of their products takes place.
But with the overall success of the company, coupled with the unexpected rise in sales as a result of bored home renovators during the pandemic lockdown, Altenloh, Brinck & CO, or ABC for short, has decided to expand their process with a brand-new packaging plant to be built in Pioneer.
The project was announced on May 10th, 2021 and is expected to be completed and fully operational by December 31st, 2021. The new site expects to employ a total of 90 new employees, which is a massive job boost for the relatively tiny town of Pioneer.
“The new Pioneer packaging facility will have office space for current office and administrative staff, as well as space for additional employees,” said Allyn Luce, Vice President of Manufacturing for ABC US. “In total, 60 associates will relocate to Pioneer.”
“The facility will also allow for additional investment in employee growth, with 30 new positions planned between Bryan and Pioneer operations.”
The Pioneer facility isn’t just a massive boon to the town, it’s also a valuable asset for ABC, who plans to continue investing in machine capital to meet the new and higher demands for high quality product.
New packaging equipment has already been ordered to be installed as soon as the new site is ready to house it. Fully integrated robotic equipment is planned, which will greatly increase production efficiency.
The company is also looking forward to the construction of a specialized training center to further prepare their employees in the long run: “In addition to the opportunities the Pioneer facility provides, these changes open up space at the Bryan facility for additional fastener manufacturing equipment and a newly built training center for not only operator specific training, but also overall workforce development education,” said Luce.
All in all, the people of Pioneer can look forward to the boost this development will bring to the community and the hopeful years of further expansion and growth ABC and its trusted brands expect to see in the future.
Jennifer can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com