Supplier Raining Rose (PPAI 232508) is nearing completion of an 8,100-square-foot expansion of its production capabilities for its Cedar Rapids, Iowa, headquarters. The company, which currently employs approximately 300 employees, expects to add 10-15 new employees with the expansion.

“This expansion diversifies how we serve our clients. It’s not only the addition of capabilities to help us grow, it’s also a strategic step toward the future,” says CEO Chuck Hammond. “We see tremendous opportunity to stand out as a leader in the contract manufacturing and promotional industries.”

The $2.5 million renovation, which the supplier started in January, will take the company from its current 300-gallon blending tank capability and grow it with the addition of one 600-gallon side phase tank, a 2,000-gallon blending tank and a 2,500-gallon storage tank that will be accessed via a new 12-foot mezzanine platform. The first phase will complete this month and the company expects to add additional storage and blending tanks in a future phase. The first batches in this new production space are expected to start in early August.

The expansion is fueled by demand for the company’s manufacturing as well as its goal of offering distributors more products that are comparable to national brands, a fast-growing need. Mike Wehr, chief operating officer for the company, says, “We have been a valued partner to the contract manufacturing and promotional products markets for years. Our clients continue to ask us what else we could make for them.”