Stens breaks ground on new facility on Hospitality Drive

“Being here in Jasper is about our employees. It’s not about the type of business we are in or the logistics in general. It’s really about maintaining the great employees we have here,” Peter Ariens, President of Stens Corporation, said after the groundbreaking on Tuesday.

The indoor groundbreaking was symbolic for the continued expansion of Stens and its parent company, Ariens Company.

Stens had looked at the building several years ago for future expansion but the  157,000-square-foot structure seemed too vast for the company at that time. In the recent economic climate more consumers are repairing lawn mowers and outdoor lawn and garden equipment rather than buying new. As an international supplier of replacement parts for that industry, Stens has continued to grow and is forecasting continued growth in the market.

The 1919 Hospitality Drive location will become the company’s new headquarters and global distribution center. It is scheduled to be in operation by January.

Stens was one of the first companies to take advantage of the City of Jasper’s Tax Abatement program.