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A slumping economy can be good news for some. Weldrite Manufacturing's new headquarters is visible proof; the custom metal fabrication company found the slack real estate market helpful when looking for new space.

The company had been considering expansion for some time, said Jeff Glover, Weldrite's sales and marketing director. But its CEO, Greg Clark, decided to be patient.

"When the economic conditions started to weaken, he held back and kept his eye on the market and waited for the right time to buy," Glover said. "Also, it coincided with our growth pattern."

The new headquarters, occupied on February 1, sits on 2.6 acres at Aldergrove Avenue off South Andreasen Drive. It provides nearly 45,000 square feet, double that of the old headquarters.

Weldrite employs about 50 people.

Glover said Weldrite remained in Escondido, CA, (touted as "picturesque Escondido" on its Web site) mainly because the right kind of industrial space was available for the right price.

Total cost of the purchase and move-in was about $5 million, said Clark, an Encinitas resident who owns the company along with his family. It's a subsidiary of ROC Industries Inc., which the Clark family established as a parent company.

Formed in 1987, Weldrite makes industrial gas turbines, racks, fire suppression systems for gas turbines and other heavy-duty products for civilian and military customers. With the extra space, the company can expand its production, Glover said.

"Think of anything metal that's fabricated," Glover said. "We can build enclosures, we can build ducting systems, we can build to suit with our design team. We like to do mass production, not just a one-off thing."

Weldrite's first big customer was Nassco (National Steel and Shipbuilding Company), building ladders and platforms for the Navy.

Clark said he bought Weldrite about 5 years ago because the company had potential to grow.

Read the full story at: nctimes.com

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