By TAYLOR WOOTEN, the Daily Journal
The U.S. Congressman representing Johnson County visited a Franklin factory Thursday morning to discuss changes and growth.
On his second visit to the facility, Rep. Trey Hollingsworth toured the factory of IBC Advanced Alloys and learned about the expansion of the copper alloy manufacturer. The congressman talked with business leaders as employees hammered away at copper plates and sculpted copper-alloy parts from glowing metals.
Given his past in aluminum manufacturing, Hollingsworth asked specific questions about the facility’s production. IBC, located at 401 Arvin Drive, makes copper and copper-based alloys for industries such as defense, aerospace, automotive, telecommunications and precision manufacturing.
IBC is in the process of a $5.5 million, 32,000-square-foot expansion. The company will close a facility in Pennsylvania and condense those operations into the Franklin headquarters. The change is projected to produce 25 jobs in the next five years that pay between $20.96 and $38.55 an hour, including benefits, according to city documents.
Construction has begun on the expansion, and should be completed in November, said Jim Sims, a spokesperson for the company.
Hollingsworth last visited the facility in 2019, when the expansion was just a dream, company president Mark Wolma said. Since then, the company has upgraded its technology and begun crafting the framework for the expansion.
“This is such great news to see, you know, the excitement here, the energy here and obviously the continued investment here,” Hollingsworth said.
Hollingsworth reached out to IBC about seeing the progress, Sims said.
“He asks among the most detailed questions about how we operate, what we make, what are the problems. And in my experience, a lot of politicians don’t do that,” Sims said.
Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett tagged along on the tour Thursday. The upcoming addition is partially supported by the city. The Franklin City Council approved two tax breaks for IBC in February. The city has helped IBC grow, Wolma said.
“They’ve just assisted through every step of the process with great communication,” he said. “We’ve been talking about this project much longer than we’ve been doing this project, and they’ve been patient with us all along.”
IBC is one of few domestic copper alloy manufacturers, said Rajeev Jain, vice president of sales. The company ships copper materials to countries around the world, including China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and throughout Europe.
The copper alloy parts are used in aircraft carriers, submarines, and products used for space application and in government labs. The company also creates commercially used products, such as automotive parts and mold materials for plastic products.
The expansion will increase efficiency. Raw materials will be made at the Franklin plant, rather than in Pennsylvania, Sims said.
