We are still producing and delivering for our clients read about our COVID-19 response   |  Learn More

Mushield Expansion

Mushield Expansion August 21, 2019

Let’s talk about MuShield expansion. When does ground break?

Well as I’m sure everyone’s aware, delays can happen when trying to gain approval from towns, lawyers, banks etc… but presently, we are looking at a mid-September groundbreaking.

What are you doing exactly? What are the challenges associated with this type of growth?

We are adding about 12,000 sq. ft. of both office and manufacturing space. Due to significant growth over the last 3-4 years, we have begun to burst at the seams a bit. With growth comes the need for more manpower and machines. Eventually, the shop that was perfect for 20 workers has suddenly become very cramped for 35 workers. Our current layout is inefficient because we don’t have the room to effectively use our machinery or store inventory due to limited space. The expansion will change all of that. 

How does the expansion benefit MuShield and your expanded capabilities?

Well first, we have a brand new furnace coming in that will be a game changer for us. The expansion is essentially being built around this furnace as we up our game in the heat treating market. We will not only work to get NADCAP certified, but our heat treating throughput will almost double with this new furnace.
The additional space is being built to eventually house additional hydroform machines as well. We need ceilings well over 20 ft. in order to bring in and use these machines, and we are designing the new addition to ensure that there is plenty of overhead space for these machines if/when we make the capital equipment investment.

Finally, I think things will just move far more efficiently through the shop. This will be a great opportunity to relocate a few machines that are set off to the side because that is where there was space at the time, and place them in a location that would be beneficial to our workflow.

How does the expansion benefit your customers?

I think we will be able to offer better lead times due to the better use of space on the shop floor. Quicker parts means happier customers. The additional space will also allow us to continue making capital investments where we may have passed in the past because of the lack of space. With new machines on the floor we’ll be able to offer quicker turns on delivery and possibly new technologies that we can take advantage of – and pass those advantages on to our customer base. A win-win for all parties involved.

When do you expect the expansion to wrap up?

Keep your fingers crossed for the end of December for us to be moved in.

Where will the horseshoe pits wind up? They’re a key element of the company picnics, so let’s hope they’re relocated somewhere… Maybe an internal course? Or would that be against code regulations?

Sadly, the horseshoe pits are RIP for the time being, but I’m hoping we can relocate them in the near future… though we have just about run out of space on the lot. Maybe we add a few pits to the roof? Not sure the FAA would love that…

< Return To Updates