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“It was a strategic decision that really was the result of our desire to focus our efforts back on Springfield, exclusively and to boost our work here,” he said.
McGregor will also build in an addition to its Morgal facility on South Yellow Springs Street. The company is investing more than $2 million in its facilities this year, including about $500,000 in new equipment as a result of the sale, he said.
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The company also invested about $2 million last year.
The additional positions in Springfield include welders and tool and die operators.
“We were approached last fall by a friendly competitor who was looking for some space in the Southeast,” McGregor said. “It just so happened at the same time we thought it would be a good idea to add some business to our Ohio facilities so it worked out well. It was the product of good dialogue and discussion with a prospective buyer.”
Staff at Batesville Tool and Die didn’t return a call seeking comment Monday. But McGregor said the 45 employees at the South Carolina facility will retain their jobs.
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“That was a part of this deal we insisted upon was our people were kept,” McGregor said. “That’s to a large degree why the buyer was so interested in us, was they were buying a company that had a team in place that worked well together. That really is what helped solidify the deal was the fact that our team was so strong down South. Making sure they all keep their jobs was of paramount concern to us.”
McGregor operates four plants in Springfield and specializes in metal stampings, machined parts, welded assemblies and other products for the agriculture, lawn and garden, motor lamination, and health and fitness industries. It employs a total of about 340 workers and its customers include John Deere, Toyota and Honda.
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McGregor opened the South Carolina facility in 2005 to provide better service to customers in the Southeast, McGregor said.
The transaction will provide a boost to the company’s Springfield operations and secure the firm’s commitment to Clark County, McGregor said. Some production in Ohio has already begun since the transaction closed, and the company is hiring now.
“We’re putting a half million dollars associated with the move directly with a small addition and some equipment,” McGregor said. “But there are other investments and capital that will certainly come on the heels of this as well.”
The company has grown slowly but steadily in recent years, McGregor said. In 2015 it was named a Tier I supplier for Honda, expanding the firm's role in producing and shipping parts directly to the automaker.
Complete coverage
The Springfield News-Sun provides unmatched coverage of jobs and the economy in Clark and Champaign counties. For this story, the paper talked to a Springfield manufacturer that is investing millions of dollars in the business in recent years.
By the numbers:
12 — Approximante number of employees to be hired
$7 million — Sales moving back to Ohio
$4 million — McGregor’s estimated investment in the past two years
$500,000 — Estimated investment in new equipment
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