Excel Industries Increases Work Force to Meet Production Demands

Excel Industries, Hesston, Kan., has added 39 full-time employees to the company payroll since June 1, with 27 of these employees involved with Excel as temporary agency workers prior to gaining regular employment status.
 
In anticipation of a record production year, Excel has begun to ramp up its daily production rates, which required additional personnel as well. Excel also currently employs 58 temporary production workers on site, bringing the total employment of the company to 450. More than 90 percent of the work force is at the main facility in Hesston.
 
Much of the additional hiring was necessitated by the production startup of the Hustler Raptor, a new lower-cost homeowner zero-turn mower that was introduced at Hustler Days, a dealer event held every other year in September. Dealer response has been positive, and the initial shipments of the product to dealers began this week.
 
Excel recently completed a 40,000-square-foot addition to its production facility. The primary purpose of the addition is weatherproof storage of whole goods inventory. The city of Hesston recently authorized a $4 Million Industrial Revenue Bond issue, the proceeds of which were used for the expansion, and additional pieces of fabrication equipment.