Demand Driving American Sealants Expansion
(photo courtesy of American Sealants Inc.)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe vice president of Fort Wayne-based American Sealants Inc. says the time is right for the company’s second expansion in six years as demand continues to increase. The company, which manufactures and packages adhesives and sealants for a variety of markets, is investing nearly $3 million to expand its Allen County facility and create some 30 jobs by the end of 2024. Andrew Zaremba says the company decided to stay in Fort Wayne to maintain efficiencies.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Zaremba said the industry as a whole is seeing a rise in demand.
“Once we kind of knew how COVID was going to impact the business – I think people are doing more projects; people are buying more things – we’ve actually, had increased demand because of the pandemic, which I know a lot of people aren’t as fortunate to have at the moment,” said Zaremba. “For us, in the manufacturing world, it’s been a whirlwind of a last few years and [we’ve] just been really busy, so we need this additional space. We need to make our employees more comfortable, have more space for employees to operate to kind of capture some of this growth long-term.”
American Sealants plans to add about 25,000 square feet to its existing facility, which will create additional manufacturing and warehouse space, as well as a state-of-the-art lab.
The company, which currently employs 75 workers, has begun hiring for several positions, including maintenance technicians, compounders, machine operators, material handlers and packagers. However, Zaremba says finding the necessary workforce has been a challenge.
“It’s challenging for all our employees. We’re desperately trying to get our current employees help so their workload isn’t so heavy and there’s not as much stress. We want a comfortable work environment and in order for us to do that, we need to have more employees. So, it’s been a struggle for us.”
Those interested in the open positions can find more information by clicking here.
“American Sealants continues to be an important and successful business in our community,” Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry said in a news release. “It’s our time in Fort Wayne to see additional growth and investments. The work being done by American Sealants and plans for new jobs sends a strong message that Fort Wayne is a great place for the advanced manufacturing sector.”
Construction on the addition has begun and the company hopes to begin using the new space by October 1.
Zaremba says the industry as a whole is seeing a rise in demand.