Roughly two-and-a-half years ago, in the autumn of 2018, Kieffer | Starlite sign company, with facilities in both Denton, Texas and Sheboygan, Wisconsin, purchased Mount Airy’s Burton Signworks.
Tuesday, the company announced it would be expanding the Mount Airy location, and adding jobs to its local operation.
The firm will actually be consolidating two local facilities, one at 510 Riverside Drive and a second at 609 Junction Street, into one single operation at the Junction Street location, according to Brad Davis, purchasing agent with the company. As part of that move, the company will be expanding, building a 21,000-square-foot addition to the already existing 80,000 square feet at the Junction Street location.
“Two new loading docks are included in the construction, and the layout is redesigned to accommodate channel letter and thermoforming equipment that will be moved to the main facility,” the company said in a written statement about the expansion.
“We are grateful to have the support from our community leaders,” said Roger Miller, director of manufacturing for the Mount Airy plant. “Their commitment to our success is making our vision a reality much sooner than anticipated.”
The firm held what it is calling an “internal groundbreaking” for employees and company officials last week, with the intention of completing the expansion by the end of August.
In addition to housing all of the company’s local manufacturing, Miller said the expanded facility “…will result in a safer and more efficient work environment.”
The firm has 140 employees at present, with 35 of those in Mount Airy. Davis said Kieffer | Starlite has 10 job openings at present, and hopes, after the expansion is complete, to have a workforce of 50 in the Mount Airy facility.
“We have several positions open now and will continue to add more after the expansion,” Miller explained. “Our company offers competitive pay, with benefits and many other monetary incentives.”
He said that “the sign industry offers an exciting career path as there are multiple cross-training opportunities. With custom sign work, there is always a new challenge.”
“We have a great team that works together to take a product from concept to watching it ship out to the customer. Our team of hard workers focus on Kieffer Starlite being best in class when it comes to manufacturing and enjoys being a part of delivering quality products to our customers across the U.S.”
Kieffer | Starlite had its beginnings more than six decades ago when Starlite Signs was founded in Denton Texas in 1956. Three years later, in Sheboygan, Kieffer & Co. was founded, according to the firm’s website.
The two companies operated largely independently of one another, maintaining a successful presence in the industry until November 2016, when the two merged and branded the new company as Kieffer | Starlite.
“The result was increased manufacturing capabilities and ability to provide best-in-class sign solutions nationwide and globally,” the company said.
In what the company refers to as its Southeast Expansion, Kieffer | Starlite bought the Mount Airy-based Burton Signworks in the fall of 2018, acquiring the 35-year-old firm and its 80,000 square feet of manufacturing space.
Now, the company has announced the expansion of the Mount Airy location, along with the job openings. For those wishing to know more about the job opportunities, or about the firm in general, visit https://kiefferstarlite.com/careers/