Okay Industries Celebrates 100th Anniversary with Global Expansion

Responding to continued business growth and the need for increased capacity and additional capabilities, Okay Industries Inc. reports a 60-percent expansion in the United States, as well as a its entry into the Latin America market. The move comes just in time to celebrate the firm’s 100th anniversary; the company started its journey as the B. Jahn Manufacturing Company.

Okay is developing a 63,000-square-foot medical engineering and manufacturing facility to consolidate and grow its medical components business in Berlin, Conn. The new facility will complement Okay’s 100,000-square-foot headquarters in New Britain, Conn., company officials said.

“The medical market’s reliance on innovation and its unique need for repeatable quality make it a great match for the engineers and manufacturing professionals at Okay,” said President Jason Howey. “By adding a standalone medical facility to our capabilities, we’ll have the focus and resources to develop the applications that help our medical customers redefine how they treat patients.”

Okay specializes in stamping and machining a wide range of metals (including stainless steels, implantable titanium and nitinol), laser welding, automated assembly, design engineering and supply chain management.

In addition to new facility space at home, the expansion also includes a 14,000-square-foot facility in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

“Work¬ing closely with customers so that we understand both their manufacturing needs and their business needs is one of the keys to Okay’s superior output,” said Mario Chaves, a local manufacturing veteran who will serve as general manager of Okay Industries Costa Rica S.R.L. “Our Costa Rica operation will keep Okay engineering and expertise close to our customers who are growing there.”

“We listen to our customers and we listen to our employees to help guide our decisions. That keeps us focused on market needs and the best ways to use our skills to meet those needs,” said Donna Lasher, Okay’s vice president. “As we continue to grow in the U.S. and into Costa Rica, we’re building an infrastructure for flexibility and performance that will lay the foundation for our next hundred years of success.”

Okay Industries—which reports double-digit sales increases over the past several years—engineers and manufactures components and subassemblies for OEMs in medical, automotive, defense/firearms, and industrial markets.