GOODFIELD, Ill. — Back from the brink of closing operations and laying off its workforce as recently as 2009, Case IH company officials have announced a 168,000 square-foot expansion of their Goodfield tillage equipment production plant, which will increase the building’s size by roughly two-thirds.

“The new expansion will accommodate an all new paint line and enable us to extend our leadership position in the marketplace,” said Goodfield Plant Manager Brian Blankenship in a company news release. “The commitment to this plant continues, and our employees have responded.”

Work on the plant’s expansion began in August; a scene in stark contrast to that of just three years ago, when its production line for till rippers and cultivators nearly screeched to a halt after company officials’ decision to close the plant and move it to Canada.

More than 200 employees would have been left jobless in this small central Illinois community, which is located just off of Interstate 74 on Illinois Route 150. But in 2009, former manager Peter Caddick announced the plant’s employees had “saved” the business through their hard work and dedication, causing Case IH to reverse its decision to cease operations and, instead, double employment at the plant.

Since then, employment at the plant has continued to grow, now supporting roughly 650 positions as the largest employer in Woodford County, according to Blankenship. Though the company told Goodfield officials the new expansion would not immediately provide more jobs for the area, once the new paint line is running more jobs could become available. The plant is currently hiring personnel for fabrication, welding, paint and assembly.

The expansion will be unique in that all wastewater produced by the new building will be treated inside the plant – an idea brought before the Goodfield Village Board by the company.

“At first there was discussion about how long it would take for the village to handle their waste, and because of the length of time, they can’t wait around for us to get that accomplished, so they decided to treat their own waste,” Goodfield Public Works Director Roger Mullins told the Woodford County Journal.

According to Case IH, the expansion will facilitate continued adoption of world-class manufacturing processes to further improve plant efficiency and profitability, in addition to product quality.

“The Case IH iron we manufacture in Goodfield already has a hard-earned reputation for being rugged, productive and agronomically superior,” said Bill Preller, senior director for Case IH specialty business. “It’s heavy-duty and built to last, works in the toughest conditions and does all the right things to help crops grow better. That’s how we became the industry leader.”

Company officials did not disclose the price tag for the expansion of the Goodfield plant.