ST. CLOUD, MN - In October 2004, Park Industries evaluated industry trends and growth projections and began to plan an expansion. “After reviewing our machine sales and associate growth projections, it became clearly obvious that we needed to expand our facilities and milling capabilities,” stated Pat Mullins, Vice President of Architectural Division.

In early May of 2005, Park Industries broke ground on a 22,000-square-foot expansion project. Approximately 40% of the added space is designated for new product development and on-site customer training. The remaining space was added to accommodate a new 5-axis mill and additional office space. An additional 4,100-square-foot Research and Development facility has allowed Park to expand its ability to design and test new products. “New product introductions have contributed significantly to Park Industries' growth,” stated Gerry Waletzko, Vice President of Manufacturing. “In fact, over 60% of our 2005 sales were generated by products that have been introduced in the last five years. As our industry continues to grow, we need to continually work on designing exceptional stoneworking machines - machines that are highly productive and efficient.”

In addition to focusing on new product development, Park Industries has also expanded its on-site training facilities by adding a 4,000-square-foot technical center. “The technical center allows us to provide on-site, professional, hands-on training,” said Mullins. “The technical center also allows customers to 'test-drive' the equipment before they decide to purchase a machine from us.”

The remaining expansion was designed to accommodate a new 5-axis mill and office space. “Our new mill will help us decrease our machining time, allowing us to manufacture machines faster for our customers,” said Gary Franz, Operations Manager. “Reducing our lead times is one of our major focuses this year. The sooner we can get machines to customers, the sooner our customers can start turning profits.”

With all of this growth comes the need to add additional associates. Over 40 offices were added as part of the expansion. Within the last three years, Park Industries has nearly doubled its staff. Today, the company employs over 260 associates.

“We are pleased with the expansion,” concluded Jack Rhode, Product Team Manager. “The additional space and resources will enhance our ability to better serve our customers.”