PIERCETON, Ind. – OMCO, a manufacturer specializing in steel metal forming for the transportation industry, announced plans today to expand its operations in Pierceton. The Wickliffe, Ohio-based company will invest $6.7 million to renovate and equip its existing 85,000 square-foot facility in Pierceton, adding an additional 42,000 square-feet of functional manufacturing space by mid-2014 and 40 new jobs. The expansion will allow OMCO to increase manufacturing capacity for its diversified customer base.

“After evaluating our most cost-effective options for a plant expansion, the Pierceton facility was chosen for a number of reasons,” said Gary Schuster, president and chief executive officer of OMCO. “At the top of that list was the highly committed and talented workforce available to us in northern Indiana, along with the outstanding support we receive from the Pierceton community, its governing bodies and the state of Indiana.”

Founded in 1955, OMCO is a custom roll former, producing highly engineered shapes primarily for the transportation industry at its Pierceton facility. The company, which operates two additional facilities in Phoenix, Ariz., and Wickliffe, Ohio, manufactures components for products ranging from truck bodies to office furniture, including solar panels used at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“The town of Pierceton is pleased that OMCO has chosen Pierceton to expand its line of production,” said Armando Espinoza, president of the Pierceton Town Council. “Over the past 25 years, OMCO has been an important employer to local residents. The town of Pierceton and Kosciusko County are proud that they chose Pierceton for this expansion.”

KEDCo has worked closely with the company, state of Indiana and town of Pierceton to successfully locate this project in Kosciusko County. “This is a great company and employer,” said KEDCo President George Robertson, “and we are please they will be growing their manufacturing presence in Pierceton.”