In order to keep up with growing demand for its products, Kewaunee Scientific Corp. is doubling its production space and will hire 100 new employees over the next five years.
During a press conference Wednesday at the Statesville Civic Center, company President and CEO William A. Shumaker said 30 to 40 new workers will be hired starting in September, when construction on a 32,000-square-foot facility expansion is completed.
Preliminary work on the expansion at the West Front Street corporate offices and manufacturing facilities is already under way. The building's exterior will also get a facelift as part of the expansion.
Kewaunee currently employs 470 people at its corporate and manufacturing facilities.
"There is no better assurance that a community is up to something good than when one of its oldest, most respected and committed corporate citizens says, 'This is where we want to grow,' " Statesville Mayor Costi Kutteh said during the press conference. "Statesville and Kewaunee look forward to growing old together."
The publicly traded company has experienced rapid grown in its domestic, Asian and Middle Eastern markets in recent years, which is why it needed the room to grow, said Shumaker.
In the past year, the company reported a decrease in its international sales due to a downturn in the Asian market.
Shumaker said Kewaunee invested $15 million in the past five years for new equipment to keep its three Statesville manufacturing sites and two distribution centers running smoothly. The investment has helped Kewaunee remain competitive and keep jobs in Statesville, he said.
Human Resources Vice President Beth Phillips said available positions are initially offered in an internal bid process before being advertised with the Employment Security Commission and the local temporary agencies.
Phillips said prior manufacturing experience is a plus. Manufacturing Vice President Keith Smith said open positions will include general laborers, machine operators and process technicians. The average worker will earn $16 an hour.
Kewaunee received a $107,170 economic development tax incentive grant from the City of Statesville and $184,054 from Iredell County. Both grants will be awarded over the next five years.
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