Draper, Inc. officially unveiled the tenth building at its manufacturing campus in Spiceland, Ind., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring company leadership. Per the company, the 100,000-square-foot building brings the amount of total space to 500,000 square feet.
“This building will add seven much-needed loading docks, and also storage and production space. It will enable us to add a new automated powder coating line,” says Chris Broome, who is the fifth generation of the family to serve as Draper president during its 121-year history.
Boome adds, “But more important than our buildings are our people. We are proud that in our 121-year history, Draper has laid off zero employees. Draper currently has 723 employees, with a total of 7,680 years of service. One hundred sixty-seven of our employees have passed the 20-year milestone. Twelve have been here for more than 40 years.”
A Successful Growth Trajectory
Founded in 1902 as a manufacturer of window shades for schools, Draper now makes motorized shading systems for the commercial and residential markets. It also manufactures AV projection screens and lifts; custom AV mounts and structures; and custom solar control solutions. Per the company, it is also the largest architectural gym equipment manufacturer in North America.
The new building was added after several years of steady growth, says Draper. Along with the building, the company expects even more growth with its entry as a major player in the residential-shading market.
“We see a lot of good growth opportunities. And this building is going to allow us to continue to take care of and meet the needs of our customers,” says Broome. “Also, from a supply standpoint, we’ll be able to keep a better inventory of fabrics and other components. [This] will allow us to be more responsive to our customers’ needs.”
Broome expects the opening of Building 10 will create 25 to 30 new jobs in the short term.
