“We manufacture and export world class product, we do not export jobs,” said Kamran Mirza, seepex director of business development. Initially, seepex promised 38 new jobs in exchange for tax incentives from the county and state.
However, Dillon said that while they intend to keep up their end of the deal, the state has not held up its end.
“We were supposed to get a low interest loan from the state with no down payment,” Dillon said. “But they kept adding extra things on it” such as a $400,000 down payment.
“We won’t use the state for any financing except for some available for buying machinery,” he said.
The building is expected to be finished in April, but it will take up to three years for seepex to finish renovations, which include buying equipment.
The company already has purchased one of two autoclaves, which will allow it to cure rubber tubing up to 30 feet in length. Dillon said this will make seepex more attractive to the water, oil and gas industry, which needs larger tubes.
“The expansion is not only to bring more manufacturing, but to keep up with our growth,” he said.
The company has had an annual growth rate of 18 percent for several years. And once the expansion is complete, seepex will make 80 percent of the company’s product, up from the 20 percent now.
The increased growth brings an increased number of jobs, most of which are the high-skilled variety such as engineering. There also will be some manufacturing jobs.
“It means something to me as a person to be able to add jobs here,” said Dillion, who grew up in Springfield and is a North High School graduate.
The company posts jobs on CareerBuilder and Monster.com.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0371 or emason@coxohio.com.
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