Back in December, we announced the AmeriChem Systems facility expansion — 15,000 square feet of new production space added to our Aurora, Illinois building. Now the work is nearly done, and the difference is already showing up on the shop floor.
Here’s what’s operational, what it means for projects, and what’s coming next.
Where the AmeriChem Systems facility expansion stands today
Temporary occupancy is in place on the full 15,000 square feet of new production space. The 10-ton crane is installed, certified, and in use. And the team has already begun moving carbon steel fabrication equipment — including the carbon steel saw and welding stations — into the new area.
Dan Wagner, President of AmeriChem Systems, gave us the latest on where things stand:
“We now have a dedicated 15,000-square-foot fabrication bay — a single open bay — so we can fabricate larger systems across the full width or length of the space and safely move them in and out with a 10-ton crane.” — Dan Wagner, President, AmeriChem Systems
Michael Perry, National Sales Manager, added that carbon steel fabrication equipment — including the carbon steel saw and welding stations — is already being relocated into the new dedicated area.
A grand opening is projected for May, once exterior retention pond work is complete and the weather cooperates.
What the new space actually enables
The most visible change is room — specifically, a dedicated single-bay layout that gives the team more usable length and width than what the existing split-bay configuration allows.
That matters for any project where physical scale is a constraint. Larger skid systems, multi-component assemblies, and complex custom builds need room not just to be fabricated, but to be staged, inspected, and moved without constantly working around the limitations of a narrower bay.
Beyond physical scale, the expanded footprint also supports more simultaneous production:
“More square footage means we can have more projects going at once. It also reduces the logistical challenges of constantly moving projects between work bays. We can keep systems staged and bring our fabricators to the project.” — Dan Wagner, President, AmeriChem Systems
For customers managing tight installation windows or capital project schedules, fewer internal bottlenecks translate directly to more predictable delivery.
Separating carbon steel and stainless steel fabrication — why it matters
One of the less obvious but genuinely significant outcomes of the AmeriChem Systems facility expansion is the ability to fully segregate carbon steel and stainless steel work environments.
Carbon steel fabrication — cutting, grinding, welding — generates carbon dust. When that dust settles on stainless steel, it doesn’t just create a cleaning problem. It can actively corrode the stainless steel surface.
Dan explained the practical implications:
“Dust created when cutting or grinding carbon steel can contaminate our stainless steel projects, so we always try to keep it segregated — whether with physical barriers or dedicated tools. Now that we have a new addition where we can close the bay doors, we can be fully segregated between carbon and stainless fabrications. We’ll have little to no contamination between the two.” — Dan Wagner, President, AmeriChem Systems
Michael Perry, National Sales Manager, noted the market opportunity this opens up: cleaner fabrication environments make AmeriChem better positioned for high-purity stainless steel projects where airborne contamination is a specified concern.
For customers in food and beverage, pharmaceutical, or high-purity water treatment applications — where surface cleanliness and contamination control are specified requirements — this is a meaningful capability improvement.
New jobs coming with the expansion
Additional production space requires additional people to fill it. Michael Perry, National Sales Manager, confirmed that hiring is part of the plan:
“We’ll be hiring additional welders and production staff, additional fabricators, additional quality team members. We’re really excited about the additional jobs that will add to the team here.” — Michael Perry, National Sales Manager, AmeriChem Systems
For customers, more production staff and dedicated quality personnel means more bandwidth — not just to handle higher volume, but to maintain the documentation, inspection, and QC standards that complex projects require.
The energy on the floor
Dan mentioned something that doesn’t show up on a project timeline but is hard to ignore once you see it.
“Everyone wants to be the first ones to build a project in the new expansion. There’s an energy and excitement that’s come with this new space that I didn’t expect, but I’m certainly happy about it.” — Dan Wagner, President, AmeriChem Systems
That’s not a minor thing. When fabricators take pride in where they work, it shows in the work itself.
What’s next: Phase 2 starts late spring
The current expansion isn’t the end of the story. Phase 2 is already scheduled.
Michael Perry, National Sales Manager, outlined what’s coming:
“As soon as this phase of the project is finished, we’ll be moving on to the next phase, which will include the addition of another 5,000 square feet of production space for our panel shop, which currently is in a 2,500 square foot space within our facility.” — Michael Perry, National Sales Manager, AmeriChem Systems
Moving the panel shop into its own dedicated 5,000 square foot space doubles its current footprint and frees up the existing 2,500 square feet inside the main building for additional engineering and office staff. Phase 2 is expected to kick off in late spring or early summer.
Combined with the current expansion, AmeriChem Systems will operate out of approximately 50,000 square feet of production space when Phase 2 is complete — up from 30,000 square feet just a year ago.
For customers evaluating long-term fabrication partners, that trajectory matters. It signals a company that is actively investing in the capacity to handle larger workloads, custom engineered systems, and longer-horizon partnerships.
FAQ: AmeriChem Systems Facility Expansion Update
How much new production space does the AmeriChem Systems facility expansion add?
The current phase adds 15,000 square feet of new production space to AmeriChem’s existing 30,000 square foot building in Aurora, Illinois. A Phase 2 addition of 5,000 square feet for a dedicated panel shop is scheduled to begin in late spring or early summer, bringing the total facility to approximately 45,000 square feet.
Is the new fabrication space already in use?
Yes. AmeriChem has temporary occupancy on the new space, the 10-ton crane is certified and operational, and carbon steel fabrication equipment is actively being relocated into the new dedicated area. A formal grand opening is projected for May.
How does separating carbon steel and stainless steel fabrication improve quality?
Carbon steel work generates carbon dust during cutting, grinding, and welding. If that dust settles on stainless steel, it can cause surface corrosion and requires additional cleaning and passivation to remediate. With dedicated, fully enclosed bays, AmeriChem can now eliminate cross-contamination between the two work environments — improving both quality and production efficiency.
What types of projects benefit most from the expanded facility?
Larger and more complex builds benefit from the new single-bay layout and 10-ton crane capacity. Projects with stainless steel, sanitary, or high-purity requirements benefit specifically from the segregated fabrication environments. And any project with tight schedules benefits from the increased capacity to run multiple jobs in parallel.
Will the expansion affect lead times?
The additional space and reduced need to move projects between bays is designed to improve production flow and reduce internal bottlenecks. More projects can run simultaneously, and fabricators can move to the work rather than the work being moved around them — which supports more consistent project schedules.
Is AmeriChem Systems hiring as a result of the expansion?
Yes. AmeriChem plans to add welders, fabricators, production staff, and quality team members to support the increased capacity and maintain quality standards across a higher volume of concurrent projects.
Have a project that needs a fabricator with the capacity and capability to handle it? We’d be glad to talk through your application, timeline, and requirements.
Contact AmeriChem Systems — or reach us directly at +1 630 495 9300 or inquiries@americhemsystems.com.