Fabrication Concepts Corp., a fast growing sheet-metal maker, has moved its corporate headquarters into a new 200,000-square-foot space in Santa Ana and plans to almost double its work force of 250 in the next 12 months.
Jim Metzler, president of Fabrication Concepts, said his firm had been housed in two Irvine buildings totaling 49,000 square feet. With the additional room, the company expects to quickly add new orders and employees. The new building includes space for corporate planning and design functions as well as a fabrication and assembly facility.
“We have some specifically targeted customers that we’ve talked to who have just been waiting for us to expand our capabilities,” Metzler said.
The 20-year-old firm has seen revenue grow from $3 million in 1993 to $20 million, Metzler said. To keep up with the added work, the company’s workforce has grown from 50 in 1993 to the 250 people employed today.
The expansion plans have been in the works for a while, ever since Fabrication Concepts paid roughly $5.5 million in October 1998 to Boeing Corp. for a 12.2-acre parcel in the PacifiCenter, a manufacturing and distribution park between Edinger and Warner avenues just off of the 55 freeway. The company moved into its new space when the building was completed earlier this year.
In addition to the extra space, Fabrication Concepts has added $2.5 million in new equipment in the past three months and expects to invest another $1 million to upgrade and expand its laser cutting and tube-bending capabilities.
Fabrication Concepts found the former Boeing site especially attractive because of its location within the Santa Ana Enterprise Zone, which qualifies the company for a host of tax benefits and other incentives.
“Now we have the space as well as the state incentives, which is a very good combination,” Metzler said.
He added that one of the key advantages Fabrication Concepts offers is its ability not only to manufacture the sheet metal, but also to offer liquid and powder coat painting thanks to an $800,000 investment in the required equipment. Typically, such a process would have to be outsourced, delaying delivery and adding to overall costs.
“A lot of potential customers out there see that as a very strong point,” Metzler said. “There’s no double mark-up and we control the process.”
Among the company’s clients are easily identifiable names such as Home Depot as well as less well-known firms such as Advanced Sterilization Products and Olec Corp.
