August 30, 2001
New business park to get new plant
By Jefferson Wolfe
Staff writer
Ground is to be broken today for the first facility in Eagle Rock Business Park.
American Fine Sinter Co. is to be located at the intersection of Maule and Tyber roads, north of Tiffin.
The new company is to make parts for automobile engines. In the sintering process, metal powder is heated and stamped to form a component. This process increases the part's hardness.
Plans include the construction of an 80,000-square-foot facility. The company anticipates investing more than $8.5 million in the building, land and equipment.
It is expected to hire about 78 people initially, but could increase that to 100, said Chiaki Tsumuki, president of Tokyo Sintered Metals Corp.
American Fine Sinter is a joint venture between that company and Japan Powder Metallurgy Co.
The new facility should be complete in June 2003, said Kenji Ushitani, president of Japan Powder Metallurgy.
Initially, the company will sell auto parts to Toyota, Tsumuki said. As it grows, he said, it will begin selling to other automakers.
American Fine Sinter's products will be sold to facilities in the United States, he said.
The company's growth will depend on the American economy, Tsumuki said.
While company officials officially bought the nine-acre property Wednesday, negotiations began in February for the property's purchase, said Rich Focht, president and CEO of the Tiffin Area Chamber of Commerce and Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corp.
"This has been on the fast track," Focht said.
"I think the community is going to gain considerably from this," said Tiffin Mayor Bernie Hohman.
Tiffin was picked because it is a good community, Ushitani said.
"The people are courteous and it has a very nice atmosphere for us to come to Tiffin," he said.
The new company's president and vice president are to live in Tiffin.
Kenya Horaguchi, the president, said he has found Tiffin to be a very clean city in which it is comfortable to live. It is similar to the city in Japan where he lives.
The vice president, Toshio Morimoto, has enjoyed the city's green foliage. He has enjoyed biking around town.