Large manufacturer recruited to build in Klamath County

International Wood Products company has selected a parcel on the WESGO lot to build their next operation.

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Press release by Klamath County Economic Development Association

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Today, Wilsonart Engineered Services announced they would be opening a new manufacturing facility in Klamath Falls. Headquartered in Temple, Texas, Wilsonart is a global manufacturer and distributor of High-Pressure Laminates and other engineered composite materials, used in furniture, office/retail space, countertops, worktops and more.

The company recently entered into an agreement with the WESGO property owner to purchase 19 acres and is expected to begin construction sometime in late October of this year.

Once completed, the building will be approximately 95,000 square feet and house several different operations for the company’s Thermally Fused Laminate (TFL) business segment, manufacturing products that will have worldwide reach for a variety of applications. Based on projections provided by the Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA), the company is estimated to create 50 direct family-wage jobs, 40 spin-off jobs, and invest over $20M in their development cycle here in Klamath County.

Speaking about the project’s value to the region, KCEDA CEO, Randy Cox, says, “This corporation selecting Klamath County is a big step forward for our organization and the community at large. It represents significant growth of primary jobs and expands traded-sector enterprise in our region – both are critical elements to shaping a thriving economy. I am proud of the work of we‘ve done at KCEDA to help make this a reality, but know this wouldn’t be possible without the help of our partners from Business Oregon, the Klamath County Commissioners, and the City of Klamath Falls. Absolutely everyone stepped up, making this a truly amazing team effort all around.”

Business Oregon also played a critical role in helping recruit the project to Klamath County.

Working on behalf of the state, Business Oregon is commissioned to ensure optimal economic development pathways for businesses and communities. The development opportunity was introduced to KCEDA by Business Oregon, where both organizations actively partnered in supplying the personnel and resources needed to serve the incoming company.

Larry Holzgang, Regional Development Officer for Klamath and Lake County, commented on the announcement, saying, "In recent years, the state offices have really placed an emphasis to drive ongoing development in rural Oregon. In my opinion, this news is the mark of more to come, and shows the relationship between Business Oregon and Klamath is stronger than ever, with hopefully more to come." 

Working with many partners, KCEDA provided several services to Wilsonart during their site selection phase. These services included things such as: site selection, mapping, incentive packaging, permitting assistance, workforce development initiatives, market research, operating cost proformas, infrastructure development, technical solutions, and several local referrals for companies to assist with the facility’s upcoming build-out.

Commissioner Derrick DeGroot worked closely with KCEDA to help recruit the new Wilsonart development to the area.

Speaking on behalf of the Klamath County Board of Commissioners, DeGroot discussed the project’s progress, celebrating the work done by KCEDA and others stating, “Over the past few months many private and public stakeholders within our region have been working closely with Wilsonart to ensure they recognized Klamath was the perfect option to be for their new manufacturing facility. Due to these collective efforts, led remarkably well by KCEDA, our community was able to prove to them, without a doubt, Klamath is the place to be for their operation.”

According to representatives at KCEDA, the County Commissioners played a significant role in helping promote the community’s viability to the company, in addition to being identified as a key partner in the matters involving infrastructure, incentives, and permitting.

General Manager at Wilsonart, Scott Siracusa, echoed Commissioner DeGroot’s remarks by commenting, “We have done many of these and we have never seen a community that has come together more than Klamath Falls has to court our business. It was a very large part of why we ultimately decided to target this area.” Also speaking on behalf of Wilsonart, Global Vice President, Ron Ubertini, added, “It is refreshing to see such a high level of commitment, collaboration and effort to facilitate the process of developing in Klamath. We look forward to becoming an active and positive member of your community.”