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SATURDAY, SEPT. 29, 2018 • KOKOMO TRIBUNE
FROM STAFF REPORTSE
W
ith the economy hum-
ming along, several lo-
cal companies have
expanded their busi-
nesses in the past
year.
ANDYMARK
AndyMark, a Kokomo-based
global robotic parts supply
company, has made major
strides in its latest expansion,
opening in a facility that dou-
bles its former home in size
and includes a full robotics
competition arena.
The move, announced in
March by the Greater Kokomo
Economic Development Alli-
ance, includes a $1.5 million
investment and could create
30 new jobs by 2021. Located
at 1900 E. North St., it’s the
latest example of AndyMark
establishing itself as one of
the city’s fastest-growing and
most prosperous companies.
AndyMark’s owner and
president, Andy Baker, and
his wife, Mary, purchased the
88,000-square-foot structure in
October 2017, laying the
groundwork for the relocation
from 2311 N. Washingon St.
to its newest spot, just south-
east of the Kokomo Event and
Conference Center.
Not bad for a company that
started in its owners’ homes
before joining Inventrek Tech-
nology Park’s incubator pro-
gram in 2007.
AndyMark, said Baker, has
been moved into the facility
since mid-May – some prepa-
rations, like the construction
of a machine shop, were com-
pleted last fall – after workers
temporarily discontinued op-
erations and instead “put on
their moving hats.”
Then came the official rib-
bon-cutting ceremony, a gath-
ering that included a bevy of
public officials and local busi-
ness and technology leaders.
It was all captured, in true
techie form, by a video drone
buzzing incessantly a couple
dozen feet above attendees’
heads.
“Size is (a major difference).
It’s about twice the size of our
facility over on Washington
Street,” said Baker about the
company’s former
24,000-square-foot digs. While
the new facility actually al-
most quadruples the one on
Washington Street, AndyMark
is only using the west side of
its North Street home.
The east warehouse? Andy-
Mark could eventually expand
there, said Baker, but right
now he wants the world to
know – it’s for rent.
“Long-term, five-year plan,
10-year plan, we might move
into that area,” he explained.
Even without it, AndyMark’s
growth was hard to miss dur-
ing tours and open walk-
throughs in March.
Stacks of shelving reached
toward the warehouse ceiling
– AndyMark has been called a
mini-Amazon for robotic parts
– and heaps of boxes sat un-
der roller conveyors.
Examples of unique prod-
ucts, like a roughly two-foot
long, knee-high robot vehicle
meant to lead the way during
SWAT and emergency re-
sponses, were scattered
throughout the building.
Through open doorways,
visitors could gawk at the fu-
turistic equipment – to some,
at least – being pieced to-
gether to create more thermal
imagining, video-capturing ro-
bots in the company’s en-
hanced engineering labs.
As Baker explained in an
interview this spring, West
Coast-based Transcend Robot-
ics remains the owner of the
intellectual property and
AndyMark serves as the man-
ufacturer of the product.
For a company that tradition-
ally has produced individual
parts, manufacturing the entire
system is something resem-
bling new ground for Andy-
Mark. Its possible, though, that
manufacturing as a whole
could become more common-
place on East North Street.
But most notable, and the
most popular spot by far, was
the FIRST robotics arena,
sporting a collection of active
robots often built and operated
by local high schoolers.
While visitors watched and
asked questions and in some
instances tried to piece to-
gether how the robots were
constructed, students drove
them around the arena, stand-
ing behind an AndyMark-pro-
duced field perimeter that sits
thigh-high on its two sides but
above the average adult’s head
on its ends.
NASA, said Baker, has even
become a customer of the
$21,500 product, using the pe-
rimeter in its educational
STEM (science, technology en-
gineering, math) initiatives.
Leading the show were stu-
dents who moved the robots
with what looked to the novice
like video game controllers. In-
side the 54-foot-by-26-foot
space, not unlike a hockey
arena on its far ends, the ro-
bots picked up and moved
large yellow boxes, in some
cases onto a large teeter-totter
in the middle of the arena.
It was an appropriate show-
ing, as nearly 75 percent of
AndyMark’s business is done
within the FIRST robotics com-
munity – a marketplace that
only continues to grow, from
28 teams in 1992 to four pro-
grams that now reach over
400,000 students each year.
With the move, AndyMark is
also hoping to add more in
-house assembly and machin-
ing, and even lessen its current
outsourcing of sheet metal
manufacturing.
“It’s not even local; we out-
source it to Wisconsin,” said
Baker. “We’ll still use those
guys, but as we grow we need
some more capability to make
some of our own parts.”
That progress hasn’t gone
unnoticed.
“Just think about: from a
start-up to this. It’s phenome-
nal,” said Charlie Sparks, presi-
dent and CEO of the Alliance.
“By the way, I have not used
the word phenomenal for at
least 20 years, so that’s a big
deal.”
“[AndyMark] could have lo-
cated anywhere in the world,
and [Baker] chose to locate
here in Kokomo,” Sparks
added later. “We appreciate
that so much.”
AndyMark’s expansion also
represents continued growth in
Kokomo’s tech field.
GREEN CUBES
Another company, Green
Cubes Technology, announced
plans in April to dramatically
expand its full-time workforce
by 2021 and construct a
20,000-square-foot facility on
the city’s south side. The proj-
ect received rezoning approval
in May from the Kokomo
Common Council.
GCT, which develops and
manufactures advanced battery
power systems for original
equipment manufacturers, will
increase its workforce from 16
to 87 employees in coming
years and construct the facility
on Pipeline Way.
With the new facility, the
company effectively doubled its
property size in Kokomo. Lo-
cated on three lots near
Kokomo Pipeline Skatepark
and Half Moon Brewery, it will
include a warehouse, manufac-
turing and office space.
GCT, currently with its global
headquarters at 4124 Cart-
wright Drive, also operates in
India, Malaysia, Taiwan and
China. It consolidated its U.S.
locations to Kokomo and es-
tablished local manufacturing
in 2015.
“Kokomo has a wealth of en-
gineering talent,” said GCT
Vice President of Engineering
Anthony Cooper in a media re-
lease.
“It made sense to expand
here. Kokomo embraces new
technology and emerging
green technology. The ongoing
development in Kokomo will
attract skilled talent, so we will
always have a deep talent pool
to draw from.”
EAC
A metal and alloy supply
company is investing nearly
$1.5 million to hire 10 new
employees and add more space
at its facility at the corner of
Morgan and Webster streets.
EAC Corp., a supplier of base
metals, high-temperature scrap
and alloys, is making the in-
vestment after recently acquir-
ing new equipment and con-
tracts from another scrap-metal
business in West Virginia, ac-
cording to the company Vice
President Jim Courts.
The company expanded to
Kokomo in 2012 from its head-
quarters in Florida and cur-
rently employs seven people.
Courts said the company is
expanding its facility by at
least 16,000 square feet by ei-
ther acquiring an existing
building near their location or
building from the ground up.
He said the extra space will
house the new equipment and
should create 10 new jobs over
the next 18 months.
Kokomo Mayor Greg Good-
night said it’s exciting to see
another of the city’s businesses
succeed and expand.
“Kokomo has been able to
create an environment that has
attracted a talented workforce
that continues to foster busi-
ness growth,” he said in a re-
lease. “EAC’s investment is a
testament to that growth.”
Company officials have
worked with the city on the ex-
pansion plan to add on to the
facility.
“We have always worked
hard to be good partners with
the community,” said Courts,
who is a Kokomo native. “The
new facility will add to the ap-
peal of the area.”
He said Kokomo’s location
means 90-percnet of EAC’s cus-
tomers can receive next-day
delivery, making the city a
strategic place to do business.
“The owner of EAC, Christian
Berkholtz, and I like what the
city has been doing since 2012
when we first opened,” said
Courts. “All of the improve-
ments, investments, and infra-
structure upgrades that have
been made in Kokomo, and
the city’s support of local busi-
nesses, make for a very posi-
tive environment to work, live
and grow a business.”
BARLOW’S
Less than a year after open-
ing, Barlow’s, a shop specializ-
ing in men’s grooming, is ex-
panding its location at 1017A
S. Apperson Way into the space
next door.
“I just appreciate the out-
pouring of support,” said
owner Matt Barlow. “When I
opened up I knew I would
have enough clientele to keep
my head up above water, but I
mean it’s just crazy the amount
of people that come in.”
Barlow’s opened at the tail
end of 2017. Up until then, Bar-
low said he was working at a
local salon with hopes and
plans to set up his own shop.
Scrolling through some Face-
book garage sale pages, he
found details of the vacant spot
on South Apperson Way, just
south of Markland Avenue. Af-
ter a meeting with the owner,
Barlow said he decided to go
for it.
There’s a unique vibe alive in
Barlow’s, said its owner. He
calls it relaxing – like you’re at
home or in man cave. That’s
not going to change with the
expansion, and Barlow said the
new space will likely include a
pool table.
Another staple of the busi-
ness is Barlow’s Beard Butter, a
product they touted at the
Downtown Kokomo Farmer’s
Market for a couple of years.
Barlow’s been working on
beard butter since late 2016, he
said, adding that his products
have been met with rave re-
views from customers.
“I just shipped some to Ari-
zona yesterday,” he said.
He went with butter for a
couple reasons. First, it’s easy
to apply, and there aren’t
nearly as many beard butters
out there as there are oils or
balms. Also, it’s not nearly as
runny as an oil or thick as a
balm.
Barlow began working on
LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE BOOMING
COMPANIES ARE HIRING AND EXPANDING
WIRED FOR WORK:
Bart Hullinger and Jean Hickman assemble wire harnesses for battery packs at Green Cubes Technology.
(Tim Bath |
Kokomo Tribune)
ROBOTICS:
AndyMark
officially
opened its
new location
on 1900 E.
North St.
Wednesday,
July 11,
2018. In the
background
is a FIRST
Robotics
competition
arena.
(Kelly
Lafferty Gerber |
Kokomo
Tribune)
See
BOOMING
|
PG. 13
