Behlen To Open Manufacturing Plant In Texas

Behlen Mfg. Co., headquarterd in Columbus, NE, recently announced the long-term lease of the former Smead Manufacturing plant in McGregor, TX, part of the greater Waco region.

This 180,000 square foot building will be used by Behlen to manufacture farm and ranch equipment for its Behlen Country® business unit. Employment is expected to exceed 50 jobs by the end of 2013. The plant will serve Texas and the surrounding area which represents a significant and growing percentage of our business, the company said.

Manufacturing will begin in January 2013. The full line of Behlen Country products will be produced which include stock tanks, dog kennels, and gates. Welding will be a primary part of the manufacturing operation. The plant will ship between 25% to 30% of Behlen Country shipments.

Jobs will be filled through both transfers of Behlen Partners in Progress (employees) from other locations including Columbus and Omaha; Baker City, OR; and Huntingdon, TN.

Phil Raimondo, CEO and President of Behlen said, “We are very excited to sign a long-term lease with a local owner and see this as a huge win-win for Behlen and the community.”

Behlen plans to make a significant investment in the facility to meet manufacturing requirements. Machinery and equipment will be moved from the company’s Huntingdon location, which transitioned to a distribution center in October. Behlen intends to begin making customer deliveries from the plant in January 2013.

Behlen Mfg. Co., Association member since 2009; behlenmfg.com.