FALCONER, N.Y. — A longtime Chautauqua County manufacturer is getting a financial boost to help pay for a multimillion-dollar improvement project.

What You Need To Know

  • Rand Machine in Falconer undergoing major expansion project
  • The longtime company got a $382,000 IDA loan toward the project
  • Construction is expected to be completed next month
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Construction continued Wednesday on a more than $950,000 expansion project at Rand Machine Products in Falconer.

The longtime manufacturer produces precision component parts primarily for the defense industry.

"All the things that are inside your airplanes, your ships, your tanks. Very explosive growth. And we're running out of space," said Kurt Grimm, Rand Machine president and CEO.

Grimm says plans call for a new 7,000 square foot building which will connect the main facility to the company's recently acquired building next store.

The project also includes new fencing, surveillance equipment, and security upgrades.

"We're under greater scrutiny to be sure that our operational securities is up to the standards that it needs to be since there's very important classified type information that occurs for this production," said Grimm.

Rand recently received $382,000 from the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency toward the project.

"It's a big help. But the IDA's helped us since the day we got into Falconer," said Grimm.

Grimm purchased the 70-year-old company in October 2017, and has since grown the workforce from 45 to 125 employees.

He says he'll continue to add new jobs at a time when other businesses are struggling during the pandemic.

"It's been very rewarding. Our heart goes out to all the other, our fellow manufacturers and companies that are struggling mightily at this time," said Grimm.

"It's very unfortunate what's going on with COVID, the impact it’s having on businesses. So this is a really good thing," said Mark Geise, Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency CEO.

Geise says funding came from the group's Al Tech loan program, which helps grow area businesses. 

"Especially during COVID to have a company that's doing so well, that's making a major investment in the community is very significant," said Geise.

Grimm says IDA leaders continue to work with the company, and actually helped keep it from moving out of Chautauqua County.

He credits the existing strong manufacturing community as an asset, and a key reason why. 

"We've been made to feel really like family since we got here. Sincerely, appreciate that. It was good for us to stay. We weren't 100% sure in the beginning. We became more sure as the first year rolled on and then we just off to the races," said Grimm.

Work is expected to be completed mid-January.