It was surely a sign from on high.

After 31 consecutive days of rain, the skies cleared for the Grand Opening of Jewell Attachments’ new manufacturing facility in the Portland, OR, suburb of Tualatin on Feb. 7.

Offering more than 60,000 sq. ft. (5,574 sq m) of manufacturing and office space, the new facility takes the manufacturer of equipment and attachments from extremely cramped quarters to a site that is spacious and well-planned.

Attended over the course of the day by hundreds, including customers, dealers, vendors, suppliers and key personnel from throughout the ranks of parent company Paladin, the new facility drew unanimous raves.

The day’s events included a ceremonial ribbon-cutting shared by Founder Jim Kirkpatrick, General Manager Dannie Smith and Paladin Chairman Bill Van Sant, and plant tours.

“This is a day to which we’ve all looked forward for some time now,” said Van Sant. “From management through to every person on the shop floor, there is no workforce more committed to the design and manufacture of quality products — and more deserving of a site to do that — than the group here at Jewell. This new facility will allow better manufacturing techniques to take hold, reduce lead times and afford an overall streamlining of the production process. It will also allow Jewell to make that leap to the next level in serving new customers and new markets — a move that was simply not possible in the company’s previous location.

“The new manufacturing, fabrication and assembly area, itself more than 51,000 square feet, is designed around 10 continuous flow work centers to employ the efficiency-based principles of Lean Manufacturing now in place at Jewell. Key components include a 48-foot CNC controlled plasma burn center, multiple machining centers, areas for fabrication, overhead cranes with five-ton to 20-ton capacities and enough floor space to accommodate a sizeable number of excavator conversions, attachments or components simultaneously.”

No one appreciated the day more, perhaps, than Kirkpatrick, who started the company with two other individuals more than 20 years ago.

In his remarks to the crowd assembled for the ribbon-cutting, he thanked Paladin for its investment in Jewell, and was especially appreciative of the commitment shown by Jewell employees.

“I am grateful that Paladin had a vision for us and saw the benefits we as a company could provide,” he said. “That vision has made it possible for us to be here today. However, I am also extremely proud of the dedication each member of the Jewell team has shown to this company over the years. We are fortunate to have a labor force that believes in what they are doing, and that belief is reflected in a work ethic that is second to none. This is as much their day as anyone’s.”

Jewell Attachments specializes in conversion of excavators for special-duty use in the logging, material handling, demolition and construction industries, as well as manufacturing of equipment and attachments for use in those and other industries.

For more information, call 877/237-3392, or visit www.jewellattachments.com. CEG

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