ROSWELL, Ga., Jan. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kloeckner Metals Corporation (KMC) announced today the start of manufacturing operations at the former Bauer Built Manufacturing site in Paton, Iowa, expanding Kloeckner’s heavy fabrication capabilities. Effective January 1, 2026, KMC will lead all commercial, manufacturing, and other operational activities at the site.

The Paton facility, which will operate as Kloeckner Manufacturing Services, builds on a long-standing manufacturing foundation while extending Kloeckner’s ability to serve agricultural and industrial customers with heavy fabrication and higher value-added solutions.

Key Facts

• Workforce continuity and growth: Kloeckner has retained the Bauer Built Manufacturing workforce to ensure operational continuity.
• Expanded heavy fabrication capabilities: The 300,000-square-foot Paton facility enhances Kloeckner’s ability to deliver heavy fabrication, welding, assembly, and complex finishing solutions for agricultural and industrial customers.
• First in-house painting operation: The site introduces Kloeckner’s first in-house industrial painting capability, enabling the company to deliver painted subassemblies as part of fully integrated, end-to-end manufacturing solutions for OEM customers.
  

Expanding Kloeckner’s Capabilities While Preserving a Manufacturing Legacy

• Builds on a proven manufacturing operation founded by Vaughn Bauer in the early 1980s, bringing more than 40 years of agricultural and industrial fabrication experience into Kloeckner’s network.
• Adds advanced heavy fabrication expertise across welding, hydraulics, assembly, and in-house industrial painting capabilities, marking Kloeckner’s first fully integrated manufacturing operation capable of delivering painted subassemblies.
• With the addition of in-house painting, Kloeckner Manufacturing Services enables OEM customers to consolidate suppliers and streamline production, offering a true one-stop solution from coil to painted subassembly, ready for final assembly.
• Introduces in-house engineering and fixturing capabilities that support custom designs, modifications to existing prints, and the manufacture of products from pre-existing prints.
• Strengthens Kloeckner’s higher value-added execution across infrastructure, data centers, agriculture, construction, mining, and truck and trailer end markets.
• Creates additional capacity and flexibility to support heavy fabrication and higher value-added solutions across Kloeckner’s broader North American network.

“The start of operations in Paton builds on a strong manufacturing foundation while expanding how we support our customers,” said John Ganem, CEO, Kloeckner Metals Corporation. “By bringing heavy fabrication and in-house painting together under one roof, we’re creating a more integrated manufacturing solution that simplifies supply chains and supports agricultural and industrial customers with high-quality fabricated solutions.”

About Kloeckner Metals Corporation

Kloeckner Metals Corporation (KMC) is a subsidiary of Klöckner & Co headquartered in Roswell, Georgia, USA. It is one of the largest metal processors and one of the leading service center companies in North America. The company has around 2,800 employees at 45+ branches across the USA and Mexico and generated pro forma sales of USD4.2 billion in fiscal year 2024. KMC is committed to delivering the latest fabrication and processing technologies and the most innovative supply chain solutions to its customers. The company also provides access to electrical steel, aluminum, and stainless steel, especially serving automotive and industrial end markets in North America. 

About Bauer Built Manufacturing

Bauer Built Manufacturing is a Paton, Iowa–based manufacturer with more than 40 years of experience supporting agricultural and custom manufacturing needs. Founded as a family business in the early 1980s by Vaughn Bauer, the company has grown from farm equipment repair into a fabrication-focused operation known for designing and manufacturing large, highly customized agricultural equipment.

Contact:
Steven Nghe
steven.nghe@kloeckner.com