AdScott presents expansion plan and council approves purchase of adjacent lot

Steve Burch, chief executive of AdScott Manufacturing and ATS Holdings, told the Pine City council the family-owned precision machining firm is pursuing a small assembly building and a nearby lot to expand production and meet prospective government contracts.

Burch said AdScott — which he described as a 63-year-old Pine City company with about 80 employees across shifts — is ISO/AS9100 certified, ITAR-registered, and is on track for CMMC Level 2 certification this fall. He outlined plans for a 12,000-square-foot assembly facility (no new machining at the site) that would let the company assemble eight towers at a time and free space in its main plant for additional machining. Burch said the expansion would support roughly 15 additional full-time hires if expected federal contracts are awarded.

Why it matters: Burch framed the proposal as a local economic-development opportunity tied to federal procurement. He highlighted about $2.3 million in planned construction spending and said two grant applications and a job-creation fund request are in process to offset costs. He also emphasized that without extra land and space the company could be forced to move work out of Pine City.

Council action: After a public Q&A and a brief public comment period, council voted to approve the purchase of parcel P42.639.0000 to support the project. The roll-call vote recorded council support and the motion carried.

What comes next: Staff and the company will coordinate closing steps; Burch and the council discussed timing tied to the federal contract award and an aggressive ramp-up schedule if that contract is received. Council members asked staff to follow up on any grant conditions and to report on final site plans and any required permits.