The manufacturing business purchased the Dunham-Busch building and two others east of the factory on Feb. 1. Demolition of two of those buildings began shortly after and has been completed. Demolition of the Dunham-Busch building is scheduled to take place in April.

The plan is to add 57,000 square feet of additional manufacturing space by the end of 2021 to expand its offering of quality construction tools and equipment.

“We have wanted to expand our factory to the east for some time,” Joe Carter, President and CEO of MARSHALLTOWN, said. “Acquiring these three buildings helps us focus on our goal of adding more quality manufacturing jobs. We see this as an opportunity for both MARSHALLTOWN and the community to grow.”

Steel for new facilities has been ordered and Carter expects construction to begin in the late spring or early summer.

The expansion announcement states, “This move reaffirms MARSHALLTOWN’s commitment to the local community by expanding production and working to create quality manufacturing jobs. The hope is that this will help improve the old industrial area of Marshalltown and make East Main Street a beacon for good, clean manufacturing growth for years to come. ”

Carter said the expansion should allow MARSHALLTOWN to easily add 30 to 40 more employees.

Mayor Joel Greer said the MARSHALLTOWN expansion is some of the most exciting news he has heard in his 11 years of serving on the city council.

“In terms of economic development, manufacturing and what this means to increase the population, this is truly exciting,” Greer said. “This comes right after the hospital decided to build a brand new facility. This is the cat’s pajamas.”

The MARSHALLTOWN Acquisition Team worked with Don Anderson, the previous owner of the buildings, and his daughter, Nikki, for several years on the deal.

Demolition of buildings close to MARSHALLTOWN Company began in February and was quickly completed. The company intends to build an expansion where these old buildings once stood.

“We talked to Don a long time about the expansion we wanted to do,” Carter said. “I have to commend him and his daughter who understood what we are trying to do. They sold it at a reasonable price. If we had not started talking to Don, MARSHALLTOWN would be landlocked. I really have to give a shout-out to them for letting us do this.”

Carter certainly did not think his company would be growing again so soon after the expansion in 2018. He thought business would be harder after the pandemic struck.

“I feel fortunate that construction remained strong,” Carter said. “By May, people were staying home and remodeling – whether they were doing it themselves or hiring others, there was demand for our product.”

The extra business allowed Carter to move forward on acquiring space close to his facility. This also provides him the opportunity to continue cleaning up the neighborhood – an effort he has been engaged in for a few years.

“We bought and took out a bar, took down some tough-looking homes. We want to dress up the whole area. It really looks phenomenal compared to what it was before 2018,” Carter said.

It is part of the effort to have a positive impact on the community of Marshalltown.

“It is easier to bring people to a business that is trying to grow and do positive things,” Carter said. “Good people want good environments. They want a culture that is exciting. In our parking lot, we have chargers for electric cars that the public can use. The more we can do to make Marshalltown a better place, the more we can drive growth and community, the more we can hire phenomenal employees.”

Driving that point home, Greer said the expansion is an example of what a company can do when they care about employees and the community.

“I am excited about this news,” he said. “I’m going to go home and tell Sharon. She’s going to be really excited. This is a significant piece of news. Good stories like this help a town pull itself up by its bootstraps.”

ABOUT MARSHALLTOWN COMPANY:

Since 1890, MARSHALLTOWN has made industry-leading hand tools and construction equipment for various industries. Their tools can be found in major hardware retailers in the United States and around the world.

• Address: 104 S. Eighth Ave.

• Phone number: 800-888-0127

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.