Crown Battery Expands

Crown Battery is working on a $2.5 million expansion at its Fremont, Ohio, facility. The expansion will create 45,000 square feet of additional space for the industrial battery division, which sells to the forklift, railroad, and mining industries. The company’s present building covers about 175,000 square feet.

“This is by far one of the largest expansions we’ve seen [at Crown] since we bought the company,” said CEO/President Hal Hawk, who, along with his management group, purchased the 78-year-old company in 1998. “We see this taking our organization to $80 to $100 million.”

The expansion will include the construction of an additional $1.3 million building and the installation of $1.2 million in new equipment. Because the majority of the equipment is automated, Hawk said, the expansion will not initially create new jobs but will be key in retaining the current 346 employees.

Hawk anticipates construction to be completed in November. The new equipment will be installed in December and be operational by January 2005.