Pennex Aluminum held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the completion of the $23 million expansion of its facility in Leetonia, Ohio. The event also marks the 40th anniversary of Pennex being purchased by the Metal Exchange Corporation.
The Leetonia facility specializes in aluminum extrusions and fabricated components for the automotive, construction, HVAC, landscaping, and off-road vehicle markets. The expansion includes the installation of new equipment aimed at increasing the company’s capabilities and keeping up with market demands. The expansion is also expected to create about 50 jobs.
Company History
Pennex Aluminum was founded in 1979 through the purchase of Penn State Aluminum, located in Wellsville, Pennsylvania, by Metal Exchange Corporation. At that time, the company operated a single 1,675 ton press line, with paint and thermal capabilities added over the next few years. The company continued to grow, with fabrication operations launched in Emigsville, Pennsylvania in 1986 and the doubling of its capacity in with a second press (8 inch, 2,600 ton) in Wellsville in 1996. In 2010, the company expanded remelt and billet casting capacity to 120 million lbs and moved its fabrication operation moves into a 50,000 sq ft facility in York,Pennsylvania.
In 2010, Pennex acquired its Leetonia extrusion facility with a 9 inch, 3,500 ton Danieli press line — which was nearly tripled in size in 2015, an $38 million expansion that included the installation of a state-of-the-art extrusion press line (Presezzi press, OMAV handling system, emmebi packing system, and a die cleaning machine from Die Cleaning Equipment and Supply, Inc.), a specialized fabrication center, and a 175,000 sq ft building expansion. (An article on this 2015 expansion project appeared in the April 2016 issue of Light Metal Age.)
Pennex Aluminum a diverse mix of markets, including automotive and transportation, building and construction, recreation, and other OEMs. Its fabrication capabilities include precision cutting and sawing, punching and notching, bending and forming, machining and drilling, welding, and assembly. These fabrication lines are able to create highly specialized parts for major automotive manufacturers and other transportation related companies, as well as providing custom fabricated parts for building and construction businesses.
With the completion of its latest expansion at Leetonia, Pennex Aluminum is well positioned to continue to meet demand for high quality extruded products. It has also been reported that the company already looking ahead to a potential third expansion within the next several years.