Advanced Fiber Technology is adding a second production line at its facility at 125 Crossroads Blvd. in Crossroads Industrial Park, Bucyrus.
Courtesy | Crawford Partnership
Advanced Fiber Technology’s second production line will feature state-of-the-art technology.
Courtesy | Crawford Partnership
BUCYRUS — Advanced Fiber Technology (AFT) is pleased to announce its second production line at the company’s facility at 125 Crossroads Blvd. in Crossroads Industrial Park. The project is a total investment of $5.5 million with $4.75 million in the latest technology, robotics, and automation in the wastepaper conversion industry. The expansion creates six full-time positions and maintains the company’s 33 employees.
Adam Weiser, AFT’s general manager, said of the project, “Opening our second plant across the street from our original, still operating, operation is incredibly exciting. The state-of-art technology and equipment in the second plant, which was all manufactured in the United States, and many pieces right here in Crawford County, is far more advanced than our original plant which opened in 2001.”
AFT was founded by Bucyrus native Doug Leuthold and his brother and father in 1988. They sold the business to Installed Building Products (IBP) in 2018. The company started with system design, fabrication, and installation of manufacturing solutions to convert recycled wastepaper into end products. In 2001, AFT established its first 22,500-square-foot manufacturing facility in Bucyrus and since has expanded to 90,000 square feet including plant two.
Wastepaper is purchased from recycling companies and converted into insulation that is used in residential housing and commercial projects. They also produce fibers for asphalt paving and industrial applications. The expansion will allow a second line to produce all of AFT’s products, helping to meet demand.
Bucyrus Mayor Bruce Truka said, “We congratulate AFT and IBP for their strategic decision to invest in a second production line. This forward-thinking move not only strengthens their position in our community but also demonstrates their confidence in our local workforce and economic environment. The creation of new jobs and adding to the income tax revenue are tangible outcomes of this investment, highlighting the mutually beneficial relationship between businesses and the community.”
Submitted by the Crawford Partnership.
