Agricultural Equipment Maker Purchases Facility in S.D.

Arts Way Manufacturing, an Armstrong, Iowa-based manufacturer of agricultural equipment, has purchased a 15,000-square-foot production facility in Salem, S.D., to produce portable grain augers.

The company paid approximately $194,000 for the plant, which it had been leasing since December 2008.

The auger business opened up to us with the closing of the Feterl business and the purchase of this facility is a smart and cost-effective move for us, said J. Ward McConnell Jr., executive chairman of the board for Arts Way. We are filling new orders every day, and expect to continue gain market share each quarter. As of March 31, 2010, our auger backlog stands at $2.8 million.