CONOVER, N.C. — Kooima, a metal fabrication company, is establishing a new facility in Catawba County that is expected to create 21 jobs, the Hickory Daily Record reported.
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The company purchased a vacant building in Conover and plans to invest more than $22.5 million into the site over the next three years.
The facility, located on Emmanuel Church Road, was originally built for a different manufacturer but sat empty following a legal dispute between the previous owner and a construction firm. Kooima’s parent company, State Steel, acquired the property for $9.1 million to expand its operations in the region.
The investment into the Conover facility is expected to grow over time. While the initial phase involves 21 jobs, the company’s total investment could exceed $34 million and support 30 jobs within five years. Iowa-based State Steel, the parent company of Kooima, intends to reach the $22.5 million investment milestone within the first three years of operation.
Kooima purchased the property at 1500 Emmanuel Church Rd. from T.C. Corriher Implement Company for $9.1 million. According to Catawba County deed records, the sale was finalized in December and included the 105,000-square-foot building and the surrounding land. Corriher Implement Company previously operated at the site as Everything Attachments.
Everything Attachments manufactures and sells industrial and agricultural equipment. The company produces attachments specifically designed for tractors, excavators and skid steers. Although it sold the Emmanuel Church Road building, Everything Attachments remains in operation at a location next to the Kooima facility.
The building was originally constructed by Neill Grading & Construction for Everything Attachments. The manufacturer had planned to move into the facility in 2022, but the transition was halted due to a legal dispute between the owner and the builder.
Both Corriher and Neill Grading & Construction eventually filed lawsuits against each other in court.
In the legal filings, Corriher claimed that construction defects made it impossible to move into the building. The company stated that the resulting delays caused it to fall behind on equipment orders. Neill Grading & Construction alleged that the builder was denied access to the facility to perform necessary adjustments and sued Corriher for non-payment. Following the litigation, Everything Attachments was ordered to pay at least $670,000.
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