Custom injection molder Ozark Plastic Products Inc. is settling into a new home with more space, more presses and more people.
The company invested about $350,000 to move into a 21,000-square-foot facility in Neosho in mid-December, about 45 miles from its original home in Rogers, Ark., said Dustin Mackey, operations manager for the family-owned business.
Ozark had expanded multiple times at the Rogers site since it opened in 1997, but finally outgrew its space there. The firm has posted average sales growth of 30 percent each year, and still is expecting a boost of about 25 percent for 2002, despite the downturn in the overall economy, Mackey said.
The company does not release annual sales figures.
In Neosho, the company has added three presses - giving it 10, with clamping forces of 60-350 tons - and brought its employee base to 17, up from seven.
The city of Neosho received a $180,000 loan from the state to help finance the move. The state's Action Fund Loan Program provides limited cash for businesses in cities with populations of less than 50,000.
Ozark works with a mixture of companies, Mackey said, producing components for sporting goods, water pumps and electronics. The new location places it a little closer to some of its customers, while providing space for growth, he said.
``We see more of a potential customer base here,'' he said. ``We're looking forward to future expansion.''