Haven Steel to expand, creating 15 new jobs

One of the K-96 corridor's largest employers has announced a $750,000 expansion plan that should create 15 new jobs over the next five years.

Haven Steel plans to expand its 50,000-square-foot facility at 13206 S. Willison in Haven, according to Tom Oxley, vice president of operations and general manager.

The expansion will allow the Haven firm to move in the assets of a steel company it acquired this summer, Southeastern Forge of Columbus, Ga. Haven Steel is owned by Chicago-based investor Marlon Cohn.

The new jobs, paying from $10 to $18.30 hourly, should add about $500,000 to the company's $3.8 million annual payroll, said Harland Priddle, executive director of the K-96 Corridor Development Association, one of the economic development groups involved in the project.

The company currently employs 98 workers.

The building expansion is valued at $250,000, Priddle said, with the remainder of the project in equipment, utilities and infrastructure.

The expansion includes training funds and tax credits from the Kansas Department of Commerce. The K-96 Corridor Development Association and the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce worked on the project.

The company manufactures a line of components for agricultural tillage, construction equipment and industrial mower firms across the United States. It advertises itself as the largest U.S. producer of industrial mower blades.

The product line includes specialty components such as patio furniture chair legs, railroad track fasteners, springs for playground equipment and loading-dock bumpers.

This story was originally published October 8, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Haven Steel to expand, creating 15 new jobs."