Cole Tool and Die Company welcomed a visit from Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor for a tour of their new facility on Monday.
Having outgrown its previous location in Mansfield, Cole Tool and Die moved to 466 State Route 314 North in Ontario to accommodate expansion. Mark Damberger, chief financial officer, said that the company has been making the transition to its new location for the past year.
“We ran out of space,” he said. “The old shop on 241 Ashland Road had about 25,000 square feet and 18,000 square feet was about 27 foot of ceiling. The new building here has 66,000 square feet and 32 foot of ceiling.”
He said, “We tried to add onto the [previous building], but it did not make sense to add onto it.”
“And with this,” he said of the new building, “we have room to grow.”
He noted that in April of last year, the company had about 18 employees and now there are approximately 55 employees, including fulltime and temporary workers. “We’ve added a lot jobs,” Damberger said, “and we’re still adding more. The goal is to have 75 [employees] by the end of the year.”
He said that the company is currently in the process of hiring additional workers. “We are looking for tool makers, maintenance people, press operators, general laborers, quality technicians, all of the above. We have positions in every one of those departments,” he said.
Those interested in applying are encouraged to pick up an application at the company’s new location from 2-4 p.m. on weekdays. Eligible applicants must be able to lift 16 pounds on a regular basis throughout the day, pass a haircut drug test, and work any shift, Damberger said.
After hearing about the company’s background and progress in expansion, Taylor toured the facility and saw how the company operates on a daily basis.
Taylor stated, “We have spent the last three years traveling and visiting manufacturers all over the State of Ohio. What a great opportunity to come here to Cole and see what they do…It’s really interesting to see what products are being made here in Ohio and, of course, in the U.S.”
Bridget McDaniel, executive director of Richland Community Development Group and local contact for JobsOhio, said JobsOhio worked to get Cole Tool and Die state incentives to stay within the county. “When we heard Cole Tool and Die was looking to expand, and perhaps not even stay in the state, we jumped on the project,” she said.
Cole Tool and Die was started in 1933 Floyd Cole. Three generations of men within the Cole family have operated the business. Alan Cole is the current owner.
Damberger explained, “We make ‘gazintas;’ it goes into this, it goes into that.” He said that the company creates automotive parts for companies like Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler.
Five percent of their products are exported to Mexico and the rest are shipped throughout the U.S.
To learn more about Cole Tool and Die, visit their website.
