Koester Metals Inc. Plans New Manufacturing Center; Create 60 New Jobs

Steel Enclosure Maker to Site New Manufacturing Operation in Fremont Koester Metals Inc., a manufacturer of sheet metal enclosures and components for a variety of applications, announced that it will establish a new manufacturing center here, creating up to 60 new jobs by 2012. The company, which manufactures custom-sized electrical enclosures and fabricated sheet metal components for customers in a variety of industries, will establish a new operation in the northeast Indiana community and occupy an existing 130,000 square-foot facility formerly occupied by Rittal Inc. "As the Koester family looks to grow their business in Fremont, we look forward to new jobs, investment and opportunity in Northeast Indiana," said Governor Mitch Daniels who met with Koester Metals executives during a recent trip to Steuben County. Defiance, Ohio-based Koester, which currently employs more than 30 associates at its headquarters operation, plans to begin hiring manufacturing and supervisory associates later this summer as operations commence at the Fremont facility. "Koester Metals sees a great deal of potential growth by pursuing expansion in Indiana. For KMI this location and the state of Indiana has opened the door for new and stronger partnerships with a number of existing suppliers and a great deal of new suppliers," said Matthew Koester, project manager at Koester Metals, Inc. "These synergies with suppliers, the capabilities, capacity and location of the facility, will allow KMI to pursue new markets and enhance offerings with current customers. It will also facilitate our efforts to be among the first to pursue 'Green' powder coating. We look for this to be an excellent partnership with the state of Indiana and the city of Fremont through new job creation and by stimulating new opportunities for the area." Founded in 1975 as a family-owned manufacturer to the materials handling and power generation industries, the company now operates out of two facilities in Ohio, totaling more than 70,000 square-feet of manufacturing space. In 1999, Koester Metals' headquarters operations achieved ISO 9002 certification. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Koester Metals Inc. up to $185,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $25,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. The town of Fremont will consider additional property tax abatement at the request of the Steuben County Economic Development Corporation. "I'm excited about Koester Metals decision to choose the county's Fremont location for its new manufacturing operation, bringing new jobs to the area," said Gary Nielander, executive director of the Steuben County Economic Development Corporation. "This was a great cooperative effort between the state and local entities." Koester Metals' decision to site new operations in Indiana comes two weeks after Specialized Components Parts Limited announced it would expand its heating systems parts manufacturing operations in neighboring DeKalb County, investing more than $2.1 million and adding 30 new jobs to the region. About Koester Metals Inc. Since its founding in 1975, Koester Metals, Inc. has been providing high quality sheet metal enclosures and fabricated components to industry. Headquartered in Defiance, Ohio, Koester Metals Inc.'s more than 70,000 square-feet of manufacturing space is ISO 9002 certified. For more information visit www.kmienclosures.com About IEDC Created by Governor Mitch Daniels in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Governor Daniels. Indiana Secretary of Commerce Mitch Roob serves as the chief executive officer of the IEDC. For more information about IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.