Xccent plant brings 100 jobs to Wyoming

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

When it comes to business developments, they don’t get much bigger than Xccent’s new plant in Wyoming.

In a move that is more than three years in the making, Xccent is now relocating from Osceola, WI, to its new 100,000 square foot facility on 257th Street, south of the Fairview Lakes Medical Center campus.

When land costs, construction and new capital equipment are tallied, the project is a $7 million  venture for company, according to president and chief executive officer John Mathiesen, a 35-year veteran of the manufacturing world.

It is also a move that will bring 100 jobs from Wisconsin to Minnesota, fueling the local economy, Mathiesen said. There are also prospects for company growth and additional job creation in the future, he adds.

With its seasonal production lines expected to gain steam this spring, Mathiesen anticipates the hiring of 10 to 15 workers in April, May and June, the same as in past years.

Xccent broke ground on the new building last October and began occupying the facility in early March. The administrative team was the first to relocate from Osceola to Wisconsin and work divisions will follow over the next six months, Mathiesen said.

Xccent's new building in Wyoming. (Photo By Cliff Buchan)

The company expects to fully occupy the new facility by December.

Xccent is operating in a 35-year-old leased facility that spans 83,000 square feet. The company’s lease runs out at the end of the year.

Why the move?

The Osceola plant has served the company well, Mathiesen said, but the move to Minnesota was necessary for several reasons.

The new plant will better serve the product divisions for Xccent and replaces a building that was not designed to meet the company’s needs of today, Mathiesen said.

By moving to Minnesota, Mathiesen said the company is also in line to tap a stronger labor pool for company positions that become open. The labor draw was weakened by the location east of the St. Croix River, Mathiesen added.

Three recent new hires have come from the Wyoming and Lindstrom area, he added.

Another key reason for the move west is related to a key industry event this fall.

A major trade show of the National Recreation and Park Association will come to Minneapolis in October and with it will be many of Xccent’s key customers and potential customers.

As a national leader in the production of playground equipment, Mathiesen said the company has focused its new construction plans in concert with this major show which could yield new contracts and work.

“They’ll [trade show visitors] be able to view our new plant and product lines,” Mathiesen said. The trade show is one of three major events that take place in the country each year.

Had the company remained in Osceola, attracting site visits would have been more difficult, he said.

“This is a huge event for those of us in the industry,” Mathiesen said.

The move to Wyoming was also helped by a $150,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development under the JOBZ program to assist with construction costs. The program is an incentive to attract businesses to the state.

Under the JOBZ program, Xccent will receive tax breaks for five years  by maintaining job levels and hourly compensation rates.

About Xccent

The company has a long history of manufacturing attractive, long-lasting park furniture and providing engineering solutions for industrial applications, Xccent has been helping clients achieve value and enhance their businesses for more than 30 years.

Xccent has developed expertise in PVC molding, coating, powder coating and metal fabrication. The expertise has driven the company to engineer, develop, market and sell unique products into various industries.

The innovative technologies are the key to our high performance product characteristics and differentiation in the marketplace, Mathiesen said.

“Extensive experience in our markets, provides Xccent with the ability to take on the toughest challenges. With our team of expert engineers and professional management, we insure the versatility you need to stay at the leading edge,” Mathiesen said.

Xccent’s product divisions include:

•Commercial and residential park and playground

•Stand alone playground assemblies

•Outdoor furniture

•Residential building materials

•Medical

•Coating and molding

Xccent has forged a partnership with ISD 831 in Forest Lake. Ranger Land, a redeveloped park between Forest Lake and Forest View elementary schools, replaced the outdated Sharewood Forest and has given school children a new playground experience.

“We’ve changed how they play,”  Mathiesen said of the playground designs which are constantly being updated. The school playground in Forest Lake has served as a proving ground for new Xccent playground products.

Xccent also provided playground equipment for the new Columbus Park adjacent to the Columbus City Hall on Kettle River Blvd.

Mathiesen said the company is also exploring new partnerships with the city of Wyoming and Wyoming Elementary School where playground needs exist.

The company’s medical division will move to its own space within the new building. Xccent Medical has developed a proprietary dip molding and coating process which utilizes various polymers in the fabrication of thin and thick-wall components for the medical device industry.

The technical foundation for Xccent’s expertise emanates from its experience with the dip molding of PVC stethoscope tubing for major manufacturers around the world.

The medical division has worked with many device companies from initial concept through final manufacturing for products such as bellows, ice bags, gloves, feminine douche products, hospital bed components, ultrasound covers, and various other medical oriented products. While PVC, synthetic and natural rubber latex are the materials that form the foundation of our business, other materials have also been used by Xccent to meet its clients’ exacting demands.

Polyisoprene, neoprene, polyurethane, nitrile, guayulae, and others have been utilized for applications where very high ultimate performance values are required, the company says on its web page.

Company history

The move to Minnesota its a homecoming for the company.

Xccent was founded in Scandia in 1976 as Nickelson Plastics. The company had plants in Scandia, Forest Lake and Wyoming.

“The company growth led us to Osceola,” Mathiesen said of the consolidation of plants in 1998. More than a decade later, the business is moving to the state where it has kept its corporation.

Mathiesen joined the business in 2002, acquired the company in 2003 and changed the name to Xccent in 2004.