MAKING THE BIG MOVE – Catalyst nears end of move to 160,000-square-foot facility in Iola

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January 3, 2014 - 12:00 AM

The idea of moving makes many people cringe, and that’s on a normal scale. For Catalyst Artificial Lift, the move from Humboldt to Iola is on an unprecedented scale.
Justin Defebaugh, plant manager for Catalyst, is heading up the move from its 15,000-square-foot Humboldt plant to a new location in Iola — a whopping 160,000-square-foot space. To say they’ve been busy is an understatement.
“It’s been a lot of work,” Defebaugh said Friday morning. Since September employees have been hard at work moving equipment and setting up the space for the transferral. They have been juggling their current operation as well.
“The idea is to not lose out on any production,” Defebaugh said. There are 27 employees with the company, which was purchased by the Gainesville, Texas-based Catalyst over a year ago. It was formerly known as 2 R Tools. “It’s been pretty smooth so far.”
The company produces parts for down-hole oil pumps, and they use CNC (computer numerical control) machines for their work. They recently purchased six new machines, valued at approximately $80,000 apiece. About 30 machines are being moved to the new space “in waves” to maintain production at their current plant.
“I’ve got a really knowledgeable staff behind me, they make everything easier,” Defebaugh said. “They take instructions and run with them.”
City of Iola crews have assisted with the move as well, Assistant Administrator Corey Schinstock said. They have run new power lines to the plant, for different voltage, and will be completing some interior concrete work as well.
When Catalyst agreed to move to the Iola location, it was with the help of some incentives; one of which was a predetermined amount of work that the City of Iola would do. Schinstock said the city is nearly done with its portion, but is waiting for the final portion of Catalyst’s move.
“At this point, I’m waiting on them,” Schinstock said.
The tricky part, Defebaugh said, has been deciding how to utilize his staff’s time efficiently. He said employees who live in Iola have been used for the most part for the move to the new location.
As for the transition, Defebaugh said they are about halfway through the process, and hope to be finished by Jan. 13. They will still have some loose ends to tie up at the old plant, but operations will be fully functional in Iola.

WITH THE addition of nearly 120,000 square feet of production space, Defebaugh said the company has plans to expand into new areas.
The Gates Corporation is leasing a portion of the space for storage of their materials. But, Catalyst’s new digs have more than enough room to branch into new areas.
“Business has been very good for us,” Defebaugh said. “There’s just some holes in the industry that are needing filled.”
The “holes” are in the structure of the oil pumps themselves, he said. Currently, Catalyst specializes in the parts and fittings for the down-hole pumps. The company also has plans to move into producing larger-sized equipment.
“Next in line is the tubular, and what is called a barrel,” he said, while sitting in his new office. His desk is still bare, awaiting supplies from the old plant.
After the move, Defebaugh said Catalyst will begin efforts to expand, which will also mean jobs for area residents. He said Iola is the ideal place for a company such as Catalyst to expand; the quality of the employees is unmatched.
“The talent that is here,” Defebaugh answered when asked about the location of the plant. “There’s just a good pool of knowledge that is here.”
As the company grows, Defebaugh, originally from Chanute, is going to help guide the operation into a space that is well suited for success — hopefully without any hiccup in the process.
“We are not in any hurry to get out,” he said. “The idea is to make this as smooth of a transition as possible.”

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