Press Releases
Adair, IA - September 8, 2003
Connect-A-Dock Purchases the Former Skyjack Facility in Atlantic, Ia
Connect-A-Dock® Inc., a subsidiary of Owner Revolution Inc. in Adair, Iowa, has announced its intent to purchase the former Skyjack Equipment facility in Atlantic, Iowa. Connect-A-Dock® officials have agreed in principal to acquire the facility from Atlantic Community Development, L.L.C. at an undisclosed price. Atlantic Community Development, L.L.C. is a community investment company that was formed by a Special Task Force founded in April by the Cass Atlantic Development Corporation (CADCO).
Connect-A-Dock® Inc. is a manufacturer of plastic marine products. Their proprietary product lines include the Connect-A-Dock® line of floating dock products. Connect-A-Dock® Inc. also manufactures rotationally molded plastic products for various other manufacturers and companies under the name The Plastic Professionals™.
In 1999, Schafer Systems Inc. and Connect-A-Dock® Inc. established an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, (ESOP), allowing employees to participate and share in the ownership of the company.
We are very excited about expanding our manufacturing business into the Atlantic community,? said Ryan Gruhn, President of Connect-A-Dock® Inc. Schafer Systems and Connect-A-Dock® have an aggressive Strategic Plan mapped out over the next five years. This facility acquisition will allow us to diversify our business into some new manufacturing areas as well as aggressively expand our existing marine product lines and grow our custom manufacturing business. This will also give us more space in our Adair facility to significantly expand our new Research and Development Department which is critical to our company’s future.
Gruhn noted that he expects the company to employ 30 people in Atlantic in the coming two years with more jobs being created beyond that. He added, We expect to be long-term and significant employers in both the Atlantic and Adair communities. We look forward to providing an exciting and positive work environment for the benefit of all of our employee-owners and the communities that they live in.
Gruhn concluded, The 220,000 square foot building is more space than we will be able to utilize immediately. We intend to work with CADCO to find other potential businesses that might be interested in leasing factory space and/or office space to potentially create more jobs in the community.
Contact Connect-A-Dock, 1501 Owner Ave Atlantic, IA 50022. Toll free: 877-742-3071; Fax: 712-243-2469. www.connectadock.com.