tampa biz journal expansion 6-2104

1
Business booming, Acoustiblok expands Tampa facility Jun 4, 2014, 2:49pm EDT Updated: Jun 4, 2014, 4:18pm EDT Eric Snider Reporter- Tampa Bay Business Journal Made-in-Tampa Acoustiblok recently was featured on an episode of the National Geographic Channel program Proving Ground. A guitarist playing a Gibson Les Paul through a double-stack of amps gets his riffs cranked up to 130 decibels, in the range of a jet plane. When a box made of Acoustiblok is lowered over the axe man, the sound vanishes. Outside of TV stunts, the elastic polymer product is used frequently in construction projects. Independent lab tests show that a 1/8-inch layer of Acoustiblok can reduce more sound than 12 inches of poured concrete when added to a stud wall. That’s largely why Acoustiblok Inc. has embarked on a $1.75 million expansion of its facility in South Tampa near MacDill AFB from 30,000 to 45,000 square feet. The product works. Business is good. International growth has been especially robust. Acoustiblok spokeswoman Anne D. Knight said the expansion was necessary because “we’re running out of space and our orders are backlogged.” A second expansion phase, to start this summer, will double Acoustiblok’s current office space. The company expects to hire 50 new employees over the next two years, Knight said. Acoustiblok president Lahnie Johnson developed the product — which transforms sound energy into heat — 15 years ago. As noise pollution has increased, so has the demand for sound-deadening material. Hence, Acoustiblok’s growth.

Upload: anne-d-knight

Post on 17-Aug-2015

12 views

Category:

Documents


2 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Tampa Biz Journal Expansion 6-2104

Business booming, Acoustiblok expands Tampa facility Jun 4, 2014, 2:49pm EDT Updated: Jun 4, 2014, 4:18pm EDT Eric Snider Reporter- Tampa Bay Business Journal Made-in-Tampa Acoustiblok recently was featured on an episode of the National Geographic Channel program Proving Ground. A guitarist playing a Gibson Les Paul through a double-stack of amps gets his riffs cranked up to 130 decibels, in the range of a jet plane. When a box made of Acoustiblok is lowered over the axe man, the sound vanishes. Outside of TV stunts, the elastic polymer product is used frequently in construction projects. Independent lab tests show that a 1/8-inch layer of Acoustiblok can reduce more sound than 12 inches of poured concrete when added to a stud wall. That’s largely why Acoustiblok Inc. has embarked on a $1.75 million expansion of its facility in South Tampa near MacDill AFB from 30,000 to 45,000 square feet. The product works. Business is good. International growth has been especially robust. Acoustiblok spokeswoman Anne D. Knight said the expansion was necessary because “we’re running out of space and our orders are backlogged.” A second expansion phase, to start this summer, will double Acoustiblok’s current office space. The company expects to hire 50 new employees over the next two years, Knight said. Acoustiblok president Lahnie Johnson developed the product — which transforms sound energy into heat — 15 years ago. As noise pollution has increased, so has the demand for sound-deadening material. Hence, Acoustiblok’s growth.