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As Eric Burgon walks through the Burgon Tool Steel warehouse at its headquarters at Pease International Tradeport, he points out racks upon racks of steel plates and rods stacked along the walls. The ends of these pieces are painted different colors to denote what kind of steel they are. There also are cylinders with the diameter of a manhole cover and varying lengths that weigh several tons.
Massive machines used to mill the steel are scattered in different locations. In fact, there are more than 4 million pounds of stock and equipment in the facility. And even though the warehouse measures more than 80,000 square feet, it still isn't big enough to keep up with demand.
Burgon, president of the company, says a 30,000-square-foot expansion of the facility is scheduled to be completed in October.
There are currently 43 employees, with an additional 12 to 15 expected to be hired within the next year.
"The economy is good for everybody," he says, surveying the warehouse. "Manufacturing is good."
Burgon Tool Steel manufactures steel that is used in machine tooling and stamping. As Burgon puts it, "Tool steel is a high-quality steel used for making dies, molds and fixtures used by anybody in manufacturing. It doesn't matter whether the product is made out of wood or plastic, it requires a die to be made."
But because of the various chemical treatment processes and the milling and grinding that gives tool steel the appropriate strength and durability for its many uses, it is an expensive, and specialized, industry.
According to Burgon, a tenth of one percent of the total steel produced in the...