Gates to expand hose plant in Kansas

Denver, Colorado — Gates Corp. has announced that it will expand its Iola, Kansas factory to accommodate a new line of oil and gas products.

The Denver-based firm said it will boost the size of the plant by 82,000 square feet so it will span more than 500,000 square feet once the project is completed. The site currently makes hydraulic and other industrial hose products.

Construction is expected to begin this summer and take about 18 months to complete, including equipment installation and testing, Gates said.

“Selecting Iola as the site for this new facility speaks to the quality of the people and products manufactured out of the Iola plant,” Ken Friedman, Gates president for the Americas region, said in a statement.

The Iola facility has been in operation since 1975 and currently employs more than 650 people in its manufacturing and distribution operations.

Expected cost of the expansion wasn’t released.