Kimble Breaks Ground On $10 Million Complex

Kimble Manufacturing Co. hosted a formal groundbreaking last month for a mixer truck and chassis manufacturing complex, setting the stage for what company

Kimble Manufacturing Co. hosted a formal groundbreaking last month for a mixer truck and chassis manufacturing complex, setting the stage for what company officials note is unprecedented growth in production capacity, cost efficiency and new product development. Sited on a 50-acre tract in the north-central Ohio town of New Philadelphia, near existing company headquarters, the complex is expected to be ready for occupancy by year’s end. It will feature advanced 750-foot flows for Kimble Mixer and Kimble Custom Chassis product lines, enabling the company to double production to meet current business forecasts. Payroll at the facility is projected to climb from an initial 200 later this year to 300 by 2010.

Kimble President Jim Cahill said the new complex will provide modern space for corporate, engineering, manufacturing and product development functions, all under one roof. The operation represents an investment upward of $10 million, he adds, and is indicative of support from Hines Corp., which acquired Kimble Manufacturing in 2006. Optimum quality control and production provisions are designed into the complex, including loading docks on four sides for the efficient delivery of raw materials and shipment of finished products. In the center of the complex will be a two-story office structure. To facilitate training programs and provide an ongoing source of quality workers, the Kimble site is close to a Kent State University campus and a major vocational training school.