Metso Minerals’ Crushing and Screening business line has decided to centralize its North American warehouse, logistics and customer service operations to Columbia, S.C. The decision will bring a modernization and expansion to the production facility opened in 1965. The expansion project is expected to cost around $5.8 million. The customer service portion of the expansion is expected to be complete by the first half of next year, with the new plant fully operational by 2007.
In addition to a service center, the Columbia facility will also include an assembly line for mobile screens and crushing plants. The renewed plant has 203,000 square feet of production and office space on 40 acres of land.
The purpose of the Columbia facility is to meet the growing domestic demand for crushed aggregate, improve flexibility and customer service, and enhance the efficiency of crushing and screening equipment deliveries throughout North America.
According to Metso, the new assembly line will produce around 200 mobile plants a year.
The renovated customer service center will open in spring 2006. When fully operational in 2007, it will employ an estimated 150 production, customer service and administrative professionals. It is estimated that the assembly line will produce 200 mobile plants per year.