Link-Belt last week held ribbon-cutting ceremonies to celebrate the completion of the 90,000-square-foot expansion to its main production facilities in Lexington, Ky.

Kensuke Shimizu, director of Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Link-Belt’s parent company, cut the ribbon to commemorate the opening. The facility contains two new production lines for shot blast, hang line painting, and the assembly and manufacturing of boom and other key components. It will reach full production later this year.

“The new technology we’ve added is cutting edge and the benefits will soon flow directly to our customers through better availability and higher quality,” said Chuck Martz, Link-Belt CEO.

“This new expansion, incorporating state-of-the-art technology, will allow us to dramatically reduce crane boom lead time while increasing capacity and improving quality,” said Jim Forshee, vice president, manufacturing for Link-Belt. “Our strategy of ‘value-added manufacturing’ is fully supported by this investment. This will allow us to combine all boom-manufacturing processes from fabrication to assembly into a synchronized pull system, which is a critical element of the Link Belt production system.”