Liquid colorant supplier American Colors Inc. is expanding its facility in Sandusky, Ohio.
American Colors is planning to build a clean room in the new building to aid expansion into new markets. A company spokesperson said the firm is investing about $3 million in the expansion, which will be connected to the existing building and will create five to 10 new jobs. Another 10-12 jobs should be added in the next two-threeyears.
Construction on the 12,500-square-foot manufacturing addition will begin this summer, with completion expected in the fall, company officials in Sandusky said in a news release.
"The culture at American Colors has always been customer centric and the decision to expand our Sandusky facility is a commitment to support the needs of our customers," Patrick Militello, vice president of coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE), said in the release.
The addition is the first phase in a long-term plan to enable the company to purchase and install larger mixers and material handling equipment, officials added. New equipment will greatly expand overall capacity of the location and will reorganize its existing footprint to increase capacity and improve efficiency, officials said.
The current Sandusky facility covers 67,400 square feet, including a 22,400 square-foot expansion completed in 2017. The spokesperson said that initial equipment purchased will include mixing tanks that are twice the size of the firm’s largest current tank. A new mixer and liquid and powder handling equipment also will be added.
"We continue to have success in our core markets," President Matthew Kosior said. "This investment, coupled with our capabilities across our other plants around the world, reinforces our commitment to support our customers not only for today's needs, but future needs as well."
American Colors opened in 1975. The firm serves CASE, composites, vinyl and agricultural markets from four locations in the U.S. and sites in China and Italy.
In January, American Colors acquired Colorificio Migliavacca srl of Bergamo, Italy, for an undisclosed price. Colorifico is a pigment dispersion maker that's been in business for more than 110 years.