Tech Tool & Mold Inc. has purchased a building on an adjoining property as part of its plan to add parts sampling to its operations.
The Meadville tooling company will use the 24,000-square-foot space to store materials, conduct assembly and pack and ship finished products, said marketing director Mark Hanaway.
The move will free space for the company to install two or three sampling presses with clamping forces of 80-200 tons during the next six months, Hanaway said. The new presses and related secondary equipment will be installed at the current Tech Tool building.
The company plans to expand its product-development work with customers and assist with design changes after mold production has started, Hanaway said.
The new Tech Tool facility had been used for retail sales of tractor equipment, Hanaway said. Its proximity to the injection mold builder's existing plant will allow the installation of conveying systems between facilities, he said.
The expansion is the first major addition to Tech Tool in six years, when the company added injection molding subsidiary Tech Molded Plastics on the same grounds.
The family-owned company will add five to 10 employees during 2002, bringing its staff size close to 100, Hanaway said. Tech Tool recorded more than $10 million in sales in 2002, he said.