Univertical investing in Angola plant
Univertical to invest $1 million at Angola plant
Posted: Monday, October 6, 2014 11:00 pm
By Jennifer Decker
jdecker@kpcmedia.com
ANGOLA — A global Angola plating company is preparing to make close to $1 million in real and personal property improvements at its 203 Weatherhead St. plant.
Univertical LLC had a resolution approved by the Angola Common Council on a tax deduction on new manufacturing machinery, equipment, real estate and personal property improvements on Monday.
Those additions will include $314,000 on personal property improvements, manufacturing machinery and equipment. It will include a mass spectrometer and related chemical testing equipment, electronic communication devices and displays for internal communication.
Univertical will also make $415,000 in real estate improvements, featuring a new chemical lab inside the current building for a bus-bar plating line, adding a 7,200-square building and the old lab areas will be converted to bathrooms, a break room and lockers.
Univertical President Kevin Williams said the company has run out of manufacturing space.
“We’ve been considering this for a while,” Williams said. “We have an existing product line and will add more value-added services.”
The company that has been in Angola since 1996 is projecting to add between three to four additional jobs.
Univertical’s website said the company has served the worldwide plating industry since 1938. Univertical products are sold in 33 states and 18 countries in such products as electronics, plumbing, automotive, printing and aircraft.
Univertical CEO Chuck Walker sold the company to ALCONIX Corp., Tokyo, Japan, in 2012. ALCONIX is an international trading company specializing in non-ferrous metals.
“We’re investing in equipment to have more testing capabilities,” Williams said.
Lyle Halstead, Univertical’s controller, said the company has invested about $1 million annually at the Angola location each of the last few years.
Steuben County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Dave Koenig noted the “substantial” improvements Univertical will make that will increase the labor force, while boosting economic development.
Angola Mayor Dick Hickman thanked Univertical officials for staying committed to the city. He said he didn’t recall an Angola business announcing in one day it would make $1 million in investments.
Williams said some of Univertical’s main customers are Samsung and Western Digital.
