Argonics Expands Production and Moves to Gwinn, Michigan
Move signifies the company's commitment to the bulk material handling industry and Marquette County.
Marquette, MI, December 4, 2009, Argonics Inc., a leader in urethane solutions for the bulk material handling industry, is pleased to announce its move to a new 72,000 square foot facility, expanding its operation from 40,000 square feet across five buildings to 72,000 square feet in one integrated facility. The move to a new location from Marquette Michigan to Gwinn Michigan greatly improves the company's efficiency.
According to Dave Puskala, Chief Operating Officer for Argonics, "We now have our complete production facility and all aspects of manufacturing, logistics, shipping, receiving and research and development under one roof. This move is part of our lean manufacturing strategy and prepares us for future growth and expansion."
"We knew our current location and facility needed to be drastically reconfigured to improve production efficiency, and expand our capacity. In the process of researching our options, Marquette County offered us special incentives to move to the KI Sawyer Air force base, decommissioned by the Air force in 1995 and under redevelopment by the county," explains Puskala.
The new facility created an opportunity for Argonics to upgrade critical manufacturing equipment. The company has invested in an additional polyurethane dispenser, which will be used to produce "off table" products. The addition of this new dispenser significantly increases the variety of products to be produced, as well as the overall production capacity. Of course, both dispensers are equipped with PLC (programmable logic controllers) for the best performing polyurethane mix, based on customer requirements. (PLC has been in service for over 2 years on Argonics original dispenser.) The plant also includes the latest environment controls for ambient temperature and dust mitigation, both critical factors in producing the highest quality products.
With the move to the new facility, Argonics added several additional pieces of equipment to automate many processes, including two new CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining centers and two new CNC lathes. These investments are in direct response to growing international demand for steel inserted products. These manufacturing components enable us to create more precise molds, automate machining processes and expedite finishing work, not only for urethane, but also for steel and other metals.
With all operations under one roof, Argonics has improved shipping and receiving logistics as well as expanded its warehousing area. Finally, office automation has been dramatically improved with the installation of a new data network and phone system by Avaya.
"This move allows us to be more efficient over the years because of the close proximity of all production and office staff. We're very excited about our new facility; it signifies our commitment to the growth and expansion of our business as well as our commitment to the Marquette community," noted Puskala.
Founded in 1994, Argonics Inc. is one of the world's largest producers of castable polyurethane elastomers. With state of the art production facilities in Gwinn, Mich. and Louisville, Colo., Argonics provides high-performance urethane solutions with its team of qualified personnel. For more information call 906.226.9747 or 800.991.2746 or visit the company's website at www.argonics.com.
