Link-Belt Construction Equipment Co. will break ground within weeks on a new assembly bay at its world headquarters and manufacturing facility in Lexington, Ky. The new bay will add manufacturing capability and increase production capacity for large rough terrain cranes, large truck cranes, and telescopic crawler cranes. Current plans have the new bay online by mid 2011.

In addition, Link-Belt will significantly upgrade and redesign existing areas in the plant to accommodate more machining and welding capacity.

“We have carefully discussed the pros and cons of expanding in these economic times and have decided this expansion is necessary and critical to our long-term future success,” said Jim Forshee, vice president, manufacturing.

Chuck Martz, chairman, CEO, and president added, “This expansion is the fruit of our unprecedented growth and success over the last four years. We’re leveraging that success, even in the face of difficult economic times, to better serve our customers.”