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Tomball, where heritage and historic culture converge like the intersecting streets of Old Town, has welcomed a new business with roots dating back to even before railroad pioneer Thomas Ball renamed the town “Tomball” in the early 1900s.
Klauer Manufacturing, founded by Peter Klauer in 1870, is a fifth-generation family-owned business. A leading U.S. manufacturer of sheet metal building products, Klauer currently ships its American-made materials to more than 40 states – but until recently did not have a facility in Texas.
“Our push to expand into Texas was really just to get closer to our customers down there,” Mike Igo, Klauer Manufacturing Vice President, revealed. “We have a strong customer base in Texas, very good relationships, and in order for us to improve on those relationships and evolve the business further, we needed to get closer to them.”
Klauer recently signed a long-term lease on a newly constructed 40,200 square foot manufacturing and distribution facility located at 21609 Hufsmith Kohrville Road in Tomball. The space, which has already shipped out its first orders, will feature a pair of manufacturing lines and be utilized for warehousing roof flashing products specifically used in the Texas region.
“Every part of the country does something a little different when it comes to sheet metal building products,” Igo explained. “With Texas being a very, very large market that's growing, this facility will allow us to service from San Antonio to New Orleans and north.” Prior to expanding to Tomball, Klauer served its Texas markets by shipping products from its Iowa headquarters.
“At Klauer, our mission is to enable our customers to win through the quality, consistency and predictability of everything we do,” Igo noted. “That's why we made the move to Tomball – to make sure the lead times are as short as possible for our customers.”
Along with company president Mike Klauer, Igo toured various potential sites around the greater Houston area. He says they chose Tomball as the location to establish the company’s Texas roots because “it felt like us and felt like home”.
Klauer operates a 375,000 square foot facility in Dubuque, Iowa where it employs 250 people. Dubuque, known as the “Key City” to Irish and German immigrants who saw it as a gateway to the west, is Iowa’s oldest city.
“The close-knit community feel of Tomball was noticeable,” Igo shared. “We were just much more comfortable here.” As part of Klauer’s commitment to a long-term presence in Tomball, it finalized buildout of its new facility with local contractors and added machinery, equipment and IT infrastructure.
The Tomball Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) assisted with Klauer’s investment in Tomball. Through its Rental Incentive Program, the TEDC awarded a grant to Klauer to help offset the company’s lease expenses. The goal of the TEDC’s Rental Incentive Program is to aid in the establishment of new businesses in existing vacant spaces and to stimulate commercial investment in the City of Tomball.
“They’ve definitely been helpful and responsive to our questions and concerns,” Igo said of his experience working with the TEDC. Additionally, Klauer plans to enhance its presence in Tomball within five years.
“There’s plenty of room to expand for us,” Igo acknowledged. “We’re hoping the employee headcount grows by a factor of a few in a short period of time.”
Klauer Manufacturing, a company with a lengthy and established history dating back to the 1800s, is swiftly moving to ingrain itself in Tomball.