December 10, 2015 Updated 12/10/2015
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Sportech Inc. A door being assembled at thermoformer Sportech Inc.
Sportech Inc. plans to nearly double its complex assembly capacity, adding a new 105,000 square foot facility not far from its company headquarters in Elk River, Minn.
The company broke ground on the new facility in September and plans to move in by the end of March, according to Chief Operating Officer Jim Glomstad.
He said the plan is to consolidate several operations from smaller scattered buildings into the new building, which is about a half mile from its headquarters.
“It’s got higher ceilings to aid in warehousing and will have more automation,” Glomstad said.
The building is being constructed to take advantage of lean manufacturing principles and will be aligned to improve material flow and add more efficiency. The company will move a couple work cells that are set up in some of the smaller buildings, plus add a new work cell.
Glomstad said the building has room to grow, and that an additional 75,000 square feet of space has been pre-approved by city planners. Eventually it could be expanded to 180,000 square feet. Its headquarters building is 96,000 square feet.
Sportech designs and thermoforms components for vehicles, concentrating on power sports, agriculture, automotive, golf and turf, and other on-and-off road vehicles. It specializes in vehicle cab enclosures, body panels, windshields and styling accents.
The company was started in 1994 in a garage and has grown to an exclusive original equipment manufacturer product development partner.
The expansion is expected to create 25 more jobs. Sportech has 225 employees and has started hiring for its new building.
