Heavy duty vehicle lift leader, Stertil-Koni, a brand of the Stertil Group, reported its U.S. production facility, Stertil ALM, purchased a 4.5 acre parcel adjacent to its current manufacturing plant in Streator, Illinois. The acquisition will enable Stertil ALM to remain in Streator, make an investment for future growth and further expand production of Stertil-Koni’s heavy duty vehicle lifts.

Allan Pavlick, Vice President of Stertil ALM said, “The increased acreage and production space allows the company to keep all the operations under one roof. The expansion will allow Stertil ALM to increase efficiency and productivity. In addition to the growth in the North American market, Stertil ALM is exporting in-ground lift products worldwide.”

The additional manufacturing space will primarily be dedicated to the fabrication and assembly of the Stertil-Koni DIAMOND LIFT, a full rise telescopic piston lift setting new standards in precision heavy duty lifting, and SKYLIFT—an “open floor” concept, true vertical-rise platform lift with no crossbeams, no overhang and no base frame. The company intends to begin construction on the new parcel in the spring of 2015 and complete the expansion later in the year.

Stertil-Koni USA Inc. President, Dr. Jean DellAmore, stated, “The expansion of our vehicle lift production facility in Streator is in direct response to the North American marketplace, which has embraced our broad range of heavy duty vehicle lifts and catapulted us to a leading position in the heavy duty lifting industry.”

“We are particularly proud of our approach – one in which our engineers always begin with the customers in mind, and then build the very best vehicle lifting systems to meet all their requirements. That’s why we call it ‘Freedom of Choice,” continued Dr. DellAmore.

Stertil ALM, already a major employer in Streator, anticipates that the expansion will further contribute to job creation in the area.

The expansion also comes on the heels of several recent enhancements to the existing facility, including an additional 14,000 square feet of production space added in 2011, including a new training center. In addition, it represents the next phase of a major capital investment at the facility and in the production of Stertil-Koni vehicle lifts.

Last year, Stertil ALM purchased and brought online a new, world-class cutting machine that utilizes a combination of plasma and oxy-fuel torches coupled with a state-of-the-art PC-based, touch screen controller for extremely fast, high-precision manufacturing -- a major milestone in ALM’s strategic migration towards in-sourcing. Stertil-ALM also purchased and installed an additional CNC machining center and a high capacity overhead crane to its facility in 2014.

Mayor Jimmie Lansford stated, “Stertil ALM is a major employer in Streator and the anticipated expansion is positive for the community.”