Bison Coach in Milford Buys More Production Space
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jordan Fouts-
In addition to the facility, the company agreed to purchase approximately 20 acres of additional land that can be used for future expansion as needed.
The production facility at 802 N. Old 15, formerly leased as a shipping arm for an orthopedic company, is sited near Bison’s current production facilities and will be used to produce Bison’s equine trailers with living quarters.
The company works out of four buildings with a combined 60,000 square feet and will use the new facility to combine two production lines into one location, said General Manager Rod Lung by phone Wednesday. He added that they may later split steel frame welding from the aluminum line.
With Bison's recent growth and its acquisition by Thor in late October, its existing facility in Milford was not large enough to meet current demand, according to the announcement. Bison expects to transition production to the new facility by July 31.
“Bison's product lines represent a solid growth opportunity beyond our traditional recreational vehicle markets,” said Bob Martin, Thor president and CEO, in the announcement. “With the solid growth Bison has achieved since their acquisition last fall, we found ourselves in a position of identifying opportunities to expand production quickly. This facility came on the market and it fit Bison's current production needs while providing the flexibility to meet future growth needs as they arise.”
Located at U.S. 6 and Ind. 15 when founded 30 years ago, Bison since moved to Milford and now employs 134 production workers who craft five to six trailers a day. While the expansion doesn’t immediately translate into new jobs, Lung said they may eventually hire an additional 20 or so depending on what they do with the frame welding.
“I think for the community of Milford, they’re not losing a manufacturer – it’s growing,” he said. “I think that’s nice for the town.”[[In-content Ad]]
In addition to the facility, the company agreed to purchase approximately 20 acres of additional land that can be used for future expansion as needed.
The production facility at 802 N. Old 15, formerly leased as a shipping arm for an orthopedic company, is sited near Bison’s current production facilities and will be used to produce Bison’s equine trailers with living quarters.
The company works out of four buildings with a combined 60,000 square feet and will use the new facility to combine two production lines into one location, said General Manager Rod Lung by phone Wednesday. He added that they may later split steel frame welding from the aluminum line.
With Bison's recent growth and its acquisition by Thor in late October, its existing facility in Milford was not large enough to meet current demand, according to the announcement. Bison expects to transition production to the new facility by July 31.
“Bison's product lines represent a solid growth opportunity beyond our traditional recreational vehicle markets,” said Bob Martin, Thor president and CEO, in the announcement. “With the solid growth Bison has achieved since their acquisition last fall, we found ourselves in a position of identifying opportunities to expand production quickly. This facility came on the market and it fit Bison's current production needs while providing the flexibility to meet future growth needs as they arise.”
Located at U.S. 6 and Ind. 15 when founded 30 years ago, Bison since moved to Milford and now employs 134 production workers who craft five to six trailers a day. While the expansion doesn’t immediately translate into new jobs, Lung said they may eventually hire an additional 20 or so depending on what they do with the frame welding.
“I think for the community of Milford, they’re not losing a manufacturer – it’s growing,” he said. “I think that’s nice for the town.”[[In-content Ad]]
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