Graves County Economic Development recently joined with Osmundson Manufacturing to announce that Graves County, Ky., has been chosen for the company’s first expansion outside its primary location in Perry, Iowa. Osmundson is planning a $12.5 million capital investment which will create 80 full-time jobs, reports The Paducah Sun.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted the continued momentum of the state’s agri-tech and manufacturing sector with the announcement
“This company is going to bring quality, full-time jobs to this area. This is going to help save the town of Mayfield. This will not only help us pick ourselves back up, but it’s going to help us move forward. This brings incredible hope at an amazing time, that this community deserves it, every bit of good news it’s getting,” said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
The company’s investment will include the purchase of nearly 35 acres in the Hickory Industrial Park to construct a 150,000-square-foot facility, which will house two hot production lines and support cold workstations that will produce 20-inch and larger disc blades for both the agriculture and construction industries, reports The Paducah Sun. Construction on the building is scheduled to begin in 2023 and is expected to be completed by 2025.
“We are a five generation, family-owned company. We have been in the small town of Perry, Iowa, very similar to Mayfield for five generations,” said Heather Bruce, owner of Osmundson. “We’ve been there for almost 120 years, and we’re very excited to start the new planning process for the new facility.”
Founded in 1903 as Osmundson Spade, the company developed a revolutionary spade that resists breakage, and is on display in the Smithsonian. Osmundson Spade grew to become Osmundson Manufacturing Co. through the evolution of agriculture. The company currently employs about 100 employees at its 142,000-square-foot headquarters and production facility in Iowa.
Osmundson’s investment and planned job creation furthers recent economic momentum in the commonwealth, as the state builds back stronger from the effects of the pandemic.
“Osmundson’s culture, history and values align with the very being of Graves County, family, community and vision,” said GCED President Jason Lemle. “From the events of Dec. 10, 2021, Graves County has made significant strides toward the future of our community and what we might look like. This new expansion and new business from another part of the country further cements that we are making the necessary steps to create a better and brighter future for our community and its people.
“We are honored to have Osmundson select Graves County for the future of their business, and we look forward to supporting them for decades to come.”
Osmundson has also developed new steels and heat-treating techniques which help give the company a green footprint in the steel heat-treating world. Osmundson is the only United States manufacturer of high-quality disc, coulter, seeder, and grain drill blades, reports The Paducah Sun.