FAYETTEVILLE -- A sand sculpture may seem like an unusual way for a manufacturer to celebrate an anniversary, but for one known for making trowels it's a natural fit.
The Sandguys Sand Sculpture spent the week creating a work of art at Marshalltown's Fayetteville factory. The privately owned company based in Iowa is celebrating 125 years of business. The Fayetteville plant has been in operation since 1982.
Marshalltown history
• 1890: Brothers Jesse and Lester Williams start small machine shop in Marshalltown, Iowa
• 1905: Marshalltown Trowel Company officially incorporated
• 1930: Company is world’s largest exclusive manufacturer of masonry tools
• 1982: Subsidiary Marshalltown Tools forms and begins production in Fayetteville
• 1983: Adds office space in Fayetteville and eventually moves shipping and distribution to Arkansas
• 2002: Buys Embee to broaden paint and wallpaper line
• 2003: Changes name to Marshalltown
• 2003: Purchases concrete portion of Superior Featherweight Tools from Custom Building Products
• 2010: Acquires Cleform Tool Corp.
Source: marshalltown.com
Paul Thompson Jr., director of human resources for Marshalltown's Arkansas operations, said the company is best known for its tools used in the construction industry. But they are also popular among sand sculptors and archaeologists.
"We've earned a lot of respect in those communities and many work with our tools," he said during a Friday celebration at the Fayetteville factory.
Jack Murders, vice president of Marshalltown's Arkansas operations, said the event wasn't just a celebration of the past but also a look to the future. That includes increased automation, new products and expanding beyond existing industries.
Company growth will require more space, and Marshalltown is adding 50,000 square feet to its plant at 2200 S. Industrial Drive. Work should begin by year's end and the new space operational by mid-2016, he said.
"We're cramped for space," he said.
Marshalltown employs about 230 people in Fayetteville, and Murders said the additional space will allow for eventual growth.
The company has added 55,000 square feet to its warehouse and distribution center.
The Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation forecasts U.S. manufacturing production will grow 2.1 percent this year, following growth of 2.5 percent in 2014. New housing starts will quicken the pace, which is good news for a company that sells a bulk of products to the drywall and concrete industries.
Daryl Quinton, Fayetteville factory manager, said the company makes about 3,600 items at the plant in both professional grade and for do-it-yourselfers.
"Growth in the industry is going to help us continue to grow going forward," he said.
Quinton has been with the Fayetteville plant since it opened in 1982, starting as employee No. 13.
When asked how things have changed over the past 33 years, he quickly pointed out what has stayed the same.
"The quality of work is as good today as it has ever been," he said. "There is also a sense of teamwork that has been there since the beginning."
The company's first production plant is in Marshalltown, Iowa. Murders said Marshalltown chose Fayetteville to open a second plant to help diversify its manufacturing base somewhere centrally located and within a day's drive. Company leaders at the time also liked being close to a university.
"We have a ton of engineering students, and I am one of them," he said.
The need for engineers will continue to grow as additional parts of the production process become animated, he said.
Kelsey Lavigne, career counselor for the University of Arkansas' College of Engineering, said the school has a long history with Marshalltown, with a handful of students filling internships throughout the year.
"The students get very strong opportunities to grow as engineers and professionals,' she said. "They also hire some of our best students."
Chung Tan, director of economic development for the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, said the company greatly benefits from its work with the university because of the area's low unemployment rate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports Northwest Arkansas' unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in July.
"Everyone is hiring and having trouble finding people," she said. "Working with the university gives them good employees and keeps those students here."
NW News on 09/19/2015