Seeking space and a skilled workforce, metal fabricating company Kammetal recently made the move from Brooklyn to an industrial park in Naugatuck.
Sam Kusack, founder of Kammetal, said his goal to serve the ornament and architectural metal fabrication industry. The company moved into a former factory at 300 Great Hill Road in October and is still in the process of renovating and setting up.
“The location appealed to us as well as the talented workforce in the area,” Kusack said.
The new building in Naugatuck is about 55,000 square feet in size, with just enough room for all of the company’s machinery and office space. According to property records, Kammetal purchased the building for $2.3 million.
The company has clients from all over the United States. At the moment Kammetal is building metal free-standing stairs for a company in Texas and completing a sculpture to be used as décor in a museum, among many other projects.
Inside the space, Kammetal employees work at stations surrounded by heavy machinery. Robotic technology in one area allows some objects to be produced automatically, freeing employees to focus on more creative tasks.
“When you have a large order of something to be done of the same thing, it is just easier to use the robotics as it saves us a lot of time,” said Kusack.
Torrington was also considered for the new location, as the company was originally going to build a new building. But they found that it would cost more to build a new facility than to buy an existing building and renovate it. Naugatuck was determined to be an ideal location with its proximity to Route 8 and New York City, home to many of the company’s clients.
“When I found our current building, although it needed some work, I knew from that instant I walked in that it was the right place for us,” said Kusack.
The company currently employs 17 people and hopes to hire approximately five to 10 more in the next year. Positions will range from office staff such as administrators, project managers, production managers and design engineers to fabricators and machine operators.
Kusack started the company in 2001 after graduating college, sparked by a passion to build objects in metal that were both functional and attractive. He also wanted to create what others couldn’t, using advanced metal fabrication technologies and skilled hand-craftsmanship.
Regarding future plans for the company, Kusack said that since the company has more space to grow in Naugatuck, he expects to expand to approximately 50 employees over the next decade.
“We are looking to expand into different markets as well, and are looking for new customers to serve in the area and nationally,” Kusack said.
