CHEYENNE, WYO. – Cheyenne residents can now officially welcome another business into the community as Grobet USA began its first day of production April 26. An international manufacturer of precision equipment, instruments, supplies and tools, Grobet announced its intention to relocate to Cheyenne in December.
The company, headquartered in Carlstadt, N.J., is in the process of constructing a 40,000-square-foot manufacturing plant on 10 acres in the LEADS Cheyenne Business Parkway. However, until the new facility is complete, production is taking place at Grobet’s temporary facility located at 2020 E. 11th St.
Temporary Plant Manager Dan Stearns explained in less than a week, the interim facility was up and running. “On Monday we moved into an empty building and by the middle of the week we were in production,” he said.
Stearns, who is a plant engineer for Grobet explained he was pleased with how smoothly the process went. And he is excited to begin production on the company’s line of precision tools.
For 130 years, Grobet has produced tools for jewelry making, clock and watch repair, industrial metalworking, dental and optical laboratories, hobbyists and model makers. It is the largest manufacturer and distributor of jewelry tools worldwide and a leading supplier to the industrial market.
Randy Bruns, vice president of Cheyenne LEADS, explained LEADS worked closely with the company for a year and a half prior to Grobet’s December announcement.
“Grobet is exactly the type of company we want here because it will add to Cheyenne’s manufacturing base, thus diversifying the economy,” Bruns said.
The company will continue production at its temporary location until its permanent facility is completed this fall. The project, which is headed up by Richardson Construction, is well underway with walls beginning to emerge and a daily flurry of activity at the site.
In addition, according to Bruns the site is “footprinted” for 120,000 square feet allowing for future expansion.
Grobet’s permanent facility is slated to be complete in Fall 2001.