Wednesday, February 09, 2005

By Nancy Stier CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT

A New York firm will create jobs when it moves within the next few months into an empty factory on McCracken Street in Norton Shores.

M. Argueso Inc. of Mamaroneck, N.Y., makes wax for molds used to form metal parts. The company plans to employ 35 to 40 people when it shifts operations to 2817 McCracken, according to Dick Winsemius of Cannon Muskegon. Most of those jobs will be new positions.

The Norton Shores Planning Commission Tuesday approved the company's plan to expand the 37,700-square-foot industrial building on the west side of McCracken Street north of Plainfield Drive. The plant was occupied until June by APT, which built parts for the fueling industry, and caused some problems for nearby residents before it moved to Madison, Wis.

Resident Jim Bird told commissioners Tuesday that diesel trucks serving APT's plant were noisy and bright lights around the facility irritated some residents. He said he hopes Argueso is a better neighbor.

"I don't want to go through those problems again," Bird said.

Doug Hughes, Norton Shores city attorney, said he thought citizens' complaints had been resolved.

Argueso and nearby Cannon Muskegon are subsidiaries of CM Group and will serve some of the same customers, according to Norton Shores Community Development Director Dick Maher. He said Argueso will supply wax used in molding metal parts, while Cannon Muskegon provides the type of alloy needed.

Argueso plans to add a boiler room and distribution center to its north side and a 5,000-square-foot wax recycling center west of its existing structure. Only three to four trucks are expected to visit the plant each day.

© 2005 Muskegon Chronicle. Used with permission