LaCrosse Enclosures Enters New Product Line
Wednesday March 06, 2002
Plant now makes electrical enclosures and tent frames.
Why would a local electrical enclosure plant start manufacturing tent frames?
Would you believe extra floor space?
The company that is now LaCrosse Enclosures started in a Monticello building down the street from its current location. The metal fabrication business made electrical enclosures.
Enter Jim Ward, a 30-year veteran of the machine shop business. He bought the enclosure company’s assets in 1998. Because of relationships with Ohio factories that LaCrosse supplied parts to, business quickly picked up. Because of the growth, Ward moved the business down the street to a 60,000-square-foot facility.
But the building had more floor space than LaCrosse needed.
“We were looking for something to fill the building up,” Ward said with a laugh. It came to Ward’s attention that companies making canvas for tents were looking for tent frames. With LaCrosse’s work in metal fabrication, Ward thought it was a good fit.
So in 2001, Ward located Indiana tent frame companies and began the process of buying one and moving the equipment to Monticello.
That’s when Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation (KHIC) and Edgar Davis, KHIC’s business development specialist, got involved. Davis and KHIC assisted with the planning and purchasing of the Indiana plant during the summer of 2001. KHIC also aided in packaging and expansion when tent frame operation was brought on board at the Monticello plant.
“Jim found an opportunity for Eastern Kentucky and pursued it,” Davis said. “KHIC was able to provide funding and planning, and that means jobs and money for the region.”
The tent frame operation has a number of contracts, including military contracts. The plant passed its military first article of inspection Feb. 7, which opens the door for more military work.
“LaCrosse employs 65 people,” said Bruce Ramsey, Wayne County judge-executive. “That alone is good for the community. We’re proud to have the plant here.”
“It’s an exciting time for our company,” Ward said. “We’re glad Kentucky Highlands was able to help us make this expansion a reality.”