Boyd Metals announces $9.3 million expansion of plant on Byers Avenue

Apr 04, 2024

Reporter

A company that has been in Joplin for more than 25 years announced Thursday that it planned to nearly double the size of its warehouse and manufacturing facility on Byers Avenue.

With the fanfare of a visit from Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and other state officials, Boyd Metals, located at 1028 S. Byers Ave., announced the $9.3 million investment that will expand the Joplin plant from 60,000 square feet to 111,000 square feet and add 12 jobs to the 60 jobs the business already supports.

“You know, it seems like every time I come down here, we’re doing a business expansion in this area,” Parson told the crowd of about 100 Boyd Metals employees, local business leaders and others who attended the event at the plant. “Things seem like they’re doing very well in this region of the state. We know it’s one of the fastest-growing regions in the state of Missouri. And this is the heart and soul of who Missourians are. These companies just like this, we go nowhere without them. When you talk about a $9 million investment, that’s a lot of money. And when they decide to invest it here and these communities, and to put it here in Missouri, we ought to be thankful for that.”

Audie Dennis, general manager of the Joplin plant, said the company is primarily a distributor of metals for construction and other projects, including aluminum, carbon steel and stainless steel to manufacturers as far west as Garden City, Kansas, and as far north as Kansas City, and as far east as Camdenton.

He said the expansion of the Joplin plant was something that was long overdue.

“We outgrew this facility long ago, but with the acquisition of Boyd Metals by Russell Metals in November 2021, it has given us a lot more resources to grow,” Dennis said. “And because of that we’re finally about to do the expansion that’s been needed, and it’ll allow us to not only better serve our customers but provide a much safer work environment for our team.”

The company has five stocking warehouse and sales office locations in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

Dennis said the expansion will be built on the east side of the company’s facility closer to Wall Avenue.

Dennis said the company first came to the Byers Avenue location in 1995.

“Boyd Metals has undertaken two previous expansions in 2006 and 2013, and we’ve grown from the original 30,000 square feet that had sat empty for five years before we acquired the building to today over 60,000 square feet and 60 employees,” Dennis said.

Dennis said the expansion of this building will help the company expand its service area.

“Bob Boyd, the gentleman our company is named for, told me one thing as I sat before him as a fledgling young man interviewing for an inside sales position back in 1984,” Dennis said. “He said, ‘Son, whether I hire you or not, and right now I’m leaning toward not, remember one thing. People don’t buy from companies. People buy from people.’ and that has really stuck with me through the years. He was speaking of the value of personal relationships.

“And for that reason more than anything, this expansion could not and would not be happening if it were not for the team of employees we have here in Joplin, from our office staff to our sales team, to our machine operators, to our metal handlers, handlers and our drivers. Every single one of you has played and will continue to play a major role in our success. A team is only as strong as the members that make it up and … I would put my team up against any other.”

Thursday’s ceremony concluded with Parson and other dignitaries and the employees at Boyd Metals signing a steel beam that will be part of the expansion.

Dennis said Boyd Metals hopes to have the expansion completed by next summer.

Reporter

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