An international company announced Wednesday that it will build a multi-million dollar manufacturing plant in Klamath Falls that will employ about 50 people.

Wilsonart Engineered Services, based in Temple, Tex., manufactures and distributes materials used in furniture, office spaces, countertops and more. It will construct a 95,000-square-foot building located on 19 acres of private WESGO industrial park land near the Klamath Falls airport.

Construction will begin immediately and the plant is slated to open by July 2021 According to the company, the site “allows for future expansion.”

The facility will include a quick-cycle press used to manufacture parts of Wilsonart’s thermally-fused laminate manufacturing lines. That includes cabinet doors, panels and edge band in different designs and textures.

The Klamath County Economic Development Association estimated the development will create 50 direct family-wage jobs, 40 spinoff jobs and invest more than $20 million into Klamath County.

“This corporation selecting Klamath County is a big step forward for our organization and the community at large,” said KCEDA CEO Randy Cox.

Cox said the facility represents job growth and an expanded “traded-sector enterprise in our region,” which he said are critical to the Klamath County economy. 

Klamath County Commissioner Derrick DeGroot noted that he worked closely with KCEDA to help recruit the new development.

DeGroot said they had been working for months to woo the company.

“Our community was able to prove to them, without a doubt, Klamath is the place to be for their operation,” he said.

According to Cox, Business Oregon played a critical role in helping secure the project. It was Business Oregon who first introduced the development opportunity to KCEDA.

“In recent years, the state offices have really placed an emphasis to drive ongoing development in rural Oregon,” said Larry Holzgang, regional development officer for Business Oregon in Klamath and Lake counties. “In my opinion, this news is the mark of more to come.”

Scott Siracusa, general manager at Wilsonart, said he was impressed by the community and he was excited 

“We have never seen a community that has come together more than Klamath Falls has to court our business,” he said. “It was a very large part of why we ultimately decided to target this area.”

Wilsonart was founded in 1956. It has manufacturing facilities and retail stores in 16 states and in Canada.

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