Airxcel is expanding its operations in Wichita, Kansas with the addition of a 125,000-square-foot expansion for their Maxxair and Coleman-Mach brands. Airxcel President and CEO Jeff Rutherford and Division President Rob Leach turned the first new earth.
The new property will increase Coleman-Mach and Maxxair capacity. Air conditioners, accessories and warehouse operations of all raw and finished goods will be centralized in one location.
“Over the past several years, significantly increased demand for our products has put our manufacturing operations under stress, impacting our ability to provide unparalleled service to our customers,” Rutherford said. “Our partners will benefit greatly from the expansion because it allows us to increase the production capacity of our American-made air conditioners to ensure the timely delivery of orders. We are making a commitment now to ensure when industry volume does again increase, we are prepared to support future demand with products made locally and to not have our customers dependent on imported product from Asia.”
The expansion is Airxcel’s second this year, after Vixen Composites moved to a new, larger facility in Elkhart, Indiana.
“We are committed to our customers and our employees, and this expansion reinforces our unwavering commitment,” Leach said. “Coleman-Mach has been supporting the industry since the first-ever RV roof-top AC was made in 1967, and Maxxair since 1989. We are in this for the long term and are excited about this expansion and the RV market.”
The project will be broken into two phases. Phase one will include the new 113,000-square-foot expansion, the employee parking, a secured employee entrance and improvements to trucking logistics of increased volume. Phase one started with the groundbreaking.
Phase two includes a 12,000-square-foot office expansion slated to begin in 2023.
“With this expansion, Airxcel is reinvesting in the Maxxair and Coleman-Mach brands,” Rutherford said, “supporting our partnerships in the RV industry and strengthening our commitment to the Wichita community that has been our home for over 30 years.”
