Agrati announces $1.6M expansion

The Agrati Group has announced completing its investment of $1.6 million in industrial machinery, equipment and renovations at its Airport Industrial Park facility in Tiffin Sunday. According to a Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership release, Agrati Group is a global manufacturer of fasteners for automotive companies. The investment included creating 10 new jobs, which increases the total number of jobs at the Tiffin plant to 66. The project took place throughout calendar year 2018, and the company is considering possible additional investment next year, the release states. The release states the Tiffin plant was previously Jacobson Manufacturing until it was acquired by ContMidGroup in 2014, which was in turn acquired by the Agrati Group in 2016. It is now one of 12 Agrati production facilities worldwide and one of two in Ohio, it states. The facility primarily focuses on cold forming, tapping and thread rolling auto and truck wheel nuts as well as a variety of tubular products produced through fully automated welding and assembly. The facility was last expanded in 2013 with the addition of a 40,000-square-foot building, it states. Casey Poignon, plant manager of Agrati's Tiffin facility, said it was all related to investing in their people, equipment and facilities. He said the investment helps the company attract a new customer base, mainly the Eurpoean automaker market. Poignon said for the company it means having an increased market share that is primarily focused on European automakers, which in turn increases revenue through the parts it supplies. For employees, the investment means long-term employment, he said. "(This investment) helps diversify us so if the North American automarket takes a down turn, it can help keep our employment level the same. It helps with long-term stability," Poignon said. "Because of our investment and our increased revenue by tapping markets outside of the U.S., we've been able to add 10 jobs and, as we update our equipment, our capabilities also increase to offer additional products to the automotive market." In the release, Tiffin Mayor Aaron Montz applauded the company's continued investment in the community and said, "Since their entry into the Tiffin market, with the purchase of the Jacobson/ConMidGroup plant, Agrati has been a great community partner and I look forward to the additional investment and jobs they will bring to the city."