TrafFix Devices dedicates 17,000-square-foot expansion

FAIRFIELD - TrafFix Devices Inc. of Fairfield hosted a dedication ceremony Tuesday, Dec. 17, for its 17,000-square-foot expansion, including a keynote address by company founder and president, Jack Kulp. Kulp, who lives in California, flew in for the occasion.

The Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors were on hand, as were a few dozen members of the public who came to see the recently built section. The new addition is on the east side of the company's property in the West Industrial Park on South 23rd Street. It is the latest chapter in a string of expansions for TrafFix Devices. Just two years ago, the business built an 80,000-square foot expansion.

The most recent expansion is now complete, the only thing left to do is to set up two more roto mold machines, bringing the total number at the plant to four.

TrafFix Devices specializes in the design and manufacture of traffic control equipment and crash attenuators. Many of its products are used around construction sites such as road and bridge repairs. They include products such as barriers, barricades, drums, cones and signs.

'The stuff we make here saves lives,” Kulp said.

Kulp addressed the crowd at Tuesday's gathering by reviewing the company's history and how it's been able to grow from two employees in 1986 to a global company with manufacturing plants in Fairfield, California and Mexico. He spoke about why he chose to locate his business in Fairfield. At first, TrafFix Devices designed traffic products, but it outsourced their manufacture. Kulp needed to find a company to create his blow-molded products, and he found exactly that in Agri-Industrial Plastics, a Fairfield company founded by Dick Smith. Agri-Industrial Plastics manufactured TrafFix's orange barrels and other products for many years. Kulp also relied on Clayton Herman of H & H Mold & Tooling Inc.

TrafFix began by renting 6,000 square feet of the original Fairfield Economic Development Association Industrial Shell Building. H & H Mold & Tooling rented a segment of the building, as did Fairfield Industries, then known as Fairfield Agricultural Products. Later, TrafFix bought the entire building and rented space to H & H Mold, before that business moved into its own building across the street. All three businesses that began in that shell building have grown and remained an integral part of Fairfield's economy. During his remarks, Kulp said, 'Everything FEDA did to encourage business here worked.”

Kulp said the advantage of starting the business in Fairfield is that it's centrally located in North America, which means that freight costs are low. He also mentioned that the work ethic of Fairfield employees is fantastic. Many of them have been with the company for 20-25 years. One woman, who is 91 years old, still works part-time at the plant.

'We work on creating a safe and pleasant environment for our employees,” Kulp said.

Agri-Industrial Plastics was at one time the exclusive manufacturer of TrafFix Devices. As the years progressed, Kulp decided it was time to vertically integrate the business by putting it all under one roof. In about 2007-2008, TrafFix began manufacturing its own products.

Fairfield Economic Development Association executive director Joshua Laraby described TrafFix devices as a 'flagship success story” that continues to grow.

'We're proud to be home to TrafFix Devices and we're humbled by their continual belief and growing investment in Fairfield,” Laraby said. 'We will continue to support and assist them with their growth in every way we can. Fairfield's manufacturing sector is strong and growing, and TrafFix Devices is one of the foundational pillars of our local economy's strength.”

Laraby said it's amazing to see how TrafFix's footprint has gone from 6,000 square feet to 190,000 square feet at its Fairfield plant alone, sitting on a 33-acre campus. It's gone from employing two people to 140 people, with another 21 jobs expected to be added courtesy of this most recent expansion. Kulp said his business employs a total of 315 people in all of its plants.

Kulp explained that the reason for the 17,000-square foot expansion was that he found a roto mold machine he needed, but he didn't have a building to put it in. The only option was to construct a new building that could fit it. .

Fairfield Mayor Ed Malloy said at Tuesday's ceremony that 'It's always a special day when Jack is in town because it means we are opening another chapter in Fairfield's development.”

Malloy remarked on how great it was to see the close collaboration between Dick Smith and Jack Kulp to grow their respective businesses. Malloy was pleased to see what a success the FEDA shell building turned out to be, and how lots in the West Industrial Park have filled up to the point that FEDA had to start another industrial park south of Fairfield. Earlier this fall, construction was completed on a 30,000-square foot shell building in the 61-acre Business and Industrial Park.