EVS Metal plant expansion

By Rob Heidrick Friday, 06 November 2009

PFLUGERVILLE — Pflugerville company receives city incentives to create manufacturing jobs

Metal manufacturing company EVS Metal is on track to complete a 12,000 sq. ft. expansion of its Pflugerville plant by January, allowing the branch to consolidate equipment and hire additional employees. In August, the Pflugerville City Council approved $90,000 in economic development incentives to support the project, which is expected to cost between $500,000 and $600,000.

The company manufactures sheet metal and custom components for clients in the medical, semiconductor, industrial, entertainment and automotive industries, in addition to other sectors.

“Basically, whatever you want made, give us a blueprint and we’ll make it for you,” General Manager Robert Evans said. “Everything is custom fabrication.”

Open since 2001, the 30,000 sq. ft. plant on Heatherwilde Boulevard employs 59 people. Evans said the company recently hired four new employees to prepare for the expansion, and he expects a total of 10 new positions to be created by the end of the year.

EVS started planning for the expansion more than a year ago, but it had to lease a 4,500 sq. ft. building down the street to have enough space to keep up with orders.

“We brought on some new customers in that time period,” Evans said. “The shop is getting crowded out there, so we wanted to make it a more efficient flow.”

The Pflugerville Community Development Corporation allocated the $90,000 to expand the facility and also agreed to pay $2,000 for each new job EVS creates, up to 25 new employees. The money comes out of PCDC’s 4B fund, which is generated by a one-half cent local sales tax and funds projects and incentives that stimulate economic growth.

Evans said he expects the extra space to allow the company to take on additional contracts at an opportune time, in the midst of a rebounding economy.

“I think all of my customers are doing better than they were at the beginning of the year, and the medical and the semiconductor [industries] are doing extremely well,” he said.

Revenue is picking up for EVS as well: Evans said the company has seen a 10 percent increase in business in the last two months, and he expects the margin to widen in the months ahead.