VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Power tool maker Stihl Inc. plans to double the manufacturing capacity of its Virginia Beach plant.
City officials plan to announce the $10.3 million expansion Tuesday. Fifty-two jobs are expected to be created.
Stihl director of manufacturing Lorraine Wagner tells The Virginian-Pilot (http://bit.ly/vmuySz that work is under way on an addition to the plant's accessories building. The expansion is expected to be completed by the middle of 2012.
Wagner says the company plans to begin hiring new workers in the first half of 2012.
The plant employs nearly 1,900 workers and produces "blow-molded" plastic products, such as tubes used for blowers and fuel tanks.
Virginia Beach economic development director Warren Harris says the expansion shows Virginia Beach remains competitive in attracting high-performance manufacturing.
