Detroit Tool Metal Products does metal stamping, fabrication and assembly for industries such as trucking, agriculture, and even the U.S. Military. Its current facility isn't big enough to meet the upcoming needs of its clients, so it’s expanding and adding jobs -- something everyone is happy to hear.

Detroit Tool has 250 people on its payroll here and plans to add about 125 more. That's welcome news in tough economic times.

“Jobs are very important. Jobs are the bottom line,” said U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Missouri.

Skelton, along with two area state lawmakers, toured the facility in Lebanon in support of the expansion, which could start as early as next month.

“About four or five months ago, we were working with our key and strategic partners, John Deere, Caterpillar, Case, Paccar, Kenworth, and looking at their business model, and what their future needs were, we saw what was coming down the pike,” said Steve Westfall, president and chief executive officer of Detroit Tool.

Detroit Tool plans to add about 75,000 square feet to its plant, which will be filled with more of the massive machines that employees use to bend and cut metal into parts for trucks, tractors, even Humvees.

“We primarily do a bunch of stamping and metal fabrication of the doors for the Humvee. We do some other miscellaneous parts for other military army vehicles,” said Westfall.

Detroit Tool says its military contract work has stepped up in the past year.

“I have the opportunity to visit manufacturing and see people with skills such as yours, and you're good,” said Skelton.

Detroit Tool’s expansion will add not only more manufacturing space but also something brand new -- an engineering center.

“Our customers are dying for a key supplier to add, not just the fabrication part of it, but the design and tooling part of it,” said Westfall.

Connecting with area colleges could help recruit some of the 25 to 30 engineers, and may be able to help other folks in the Lebanon area who've recently lost jobs.

“There has been some downturn in some of the other industries. Those individuals have a skill set of welding and fabrication that will be very beneficial to us,” said Westfall.

If all goes well, Detroit Tool Metal Products, which also has a smaller plant in Iowa, hopes to break ground in mid- to late November, and have its expansion in full operation by July or August of next year. Westfall says the jobs will be well above the average area and county wage, because they're looking for the right skills.