APV Heat Transfer considers changes
By Turner Walston
Published in News on April 28, 2005 1:51 PM
APV Heat Transfer, which has manufacturing plants in Goldsboro and Lake Mills, Wisc., is considering consolidating its U.S. operations.
Officials with the baking equipment manufacturer say the company is studying a number of options.
APV Heat Transfer shares a 162,000-square-foot facility on Ash Street with Turkington APV, a separate company. Turkington purchased the plant from APV Baker in September.
The Goldsboro plant, which employs about 65 people, makes plate heat exchangers for use in commercial baking.
The APV operation in Lake Mills manufactures fluid handling equipment, homogenizers, scrape surface heat exchangers and spare parts for the food processing industry. It occupies about a third of a 450,000- square-foot facility.
The parent organization, APV North America, applied for a $300,000 forgivable loan from the state of Wisconsin to possibly expand its operation there.
The loan application stated the objective of the project is to reduce overhead expense and excess capacity by consolidating operations in Lake Mills.
Under the terms of the loan, if APV creates 25 new full-time positions in the town of Lake Mills by June 30, 2006, the state will forgive the full amount. Each job created above the 135 existing jobs in Lake Mills will be considered a new job.
In applying for the loan, the company sought funds for the relocation of equipment from Goldsboro.
An official with APV in Wisconsin said the loan was sought in preparation for a possible consolidation. He said the application was submitted ahead of time to expedite the process if a decision is made.
The loan was approved by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. The terms of the loan were accepted in a document signed by Jim Keene, project manager of the Lake Mills operation.
An official with the Goldsboro plant said there are no plans to move the local operation.
ÒThere are different activities going on around the world as we look at different opportunities for our manufacturing facilities,Ó said Tim Taylor, director of operations for the Goldsboro facility.
Lake Mills City Manager Steve Wilke said the APV plant there is operating at less than full capacity.
ÒAt one time there were 1,400 employees there,Ó he said. He estimated that today the plant employs about 150 people.
Wilke said APV officials in Wisconsin had been Òtight-mouthedÓ about their plans.
ÒI had heard that they have received a $300,000 loan from the state of Wisconsin,Ó Wilke said. ÒIÕm pretty sure the state of Wisconsin is expecting it to happen.Ó