Kaydon Corp. (USA; NYSE: KDN; 5251R9N7) announced an expansion program at its Sumter, South Carolina custom bearing manufacturing facility.

Sumter will receive approximately $3.6 million in additional investment, targeting a wide range of specialty bearings. Bearings produced in Sumter are used in military, medical, precision machine, semiconductor and renewable energy applications.

The facility was recently certified to AS9100B, the aerospace industry's aggressive extension of ISO 9001:2000, enabling Kaydon to go after more business in that sector.

Since 2006, Kaydon has invested nearly $27 million in Sumter, creating over 100 new jobs. This upcoming round will add $3.6 million and create another 75 jobs.

2006 article: Kaydon expanding Sumter bearing plant
There are two Kaydon bearing plants in Sumter -- Plant 4 and Plant 12, which together cover more than 320,000 square feet and employ approximately 300 workers. Plant 12 opened in 1991 and had been expanded in 2006 because it was running at capacity producing specialty bearings for medical CT scanners. Plant 4 is important to Kaydon because that is where it produces slewing ring bearings for wind turbines and military tank turrets.

At the same time, Kaydon will gradually shut down bearing manufacturing at its Mocksville, North Carolina Plant 20 facility. Over the next year, capacity will reportedly be taken up by other facilities. That will leave Kaydon's total North American manufacturing footprint at just Sumter; Muskegon, Michigan; and Monterrey, Mexico.

Kaydon said the decision to expand Sumter and close Mocksville took over a year to work out, and will "optimize Kaydon Bearings' manufacturing operations by more effectively utilizing resources and technology, improve plant processes, reduce redundant capacity and better align its capabilities with market expansion opportunities."

James O'Leary, Chairman and CEO, said: "These strategic actions will help us reduce our costs, increase our productivity and grow our market share. Kaydon has found an excellent business environment in Sumter, and we are pleased to grow our operations there. We look forward to bringing the new manufacturing unit online and appreciate all the support we have received from state and local officials."

Kaydon bearings was founded in 1941 by A. Harold Frauenthal, who named the company after his children Kay and Don. Kaydon got its start manufacturing slewing ring bearings for U.S. Navy warship gun turrets.