MPW unveils technology center at Union Township campus

UNION TOWNSHIP – MPW Industrial Services, which started 45 years ago as a three-man, truck-washing business, showed off the latest evidence of its phenomenal growth and evolution.

The industrial cleaning and water purification company unveiled a new 86,000-square-foot technology center to more than 70 guests Wednesday at its 46-acre headquarters, on Ohio 37, just south of U.S. 40.

Monte Black, company founder, chairman and CEO, said the grand opening of the sixth building on the MPW campus represents a significant accomplishment.

"It's a pretty exciting time here," Black said. "This technology center was a fun project. Our goal was to build a functioning, production facility that would position us for the future."

Black took the opportunity to thank the employees who have helped the company move forward. MPW employs about 3,000 at 72 locations in the U.S. and Canada, including about 500 at the local campus. The technology center will house about 130 employees.

"I have had the privilege and honor of driving on this campus for a number of years," Black said. "This campus is a tribute to all our employees, men and women who work with passion and dedication every day. Thank you. You make this organization great."

MPW promised the state of Ohio it would add 25 jobs by the end of the year, Black said, but the company has already added 50 technology jobs at the campus.

"We under-promised and over-delivered,"Black said.

The technology center includes a 40,000-square foot fabrication shop, 36,000 square feet of office space on two floors, and 10,000 square feet of outside inventory.

Two years after the groundbreaking and 16 months after confusion over a property tax abatement was resolved, MPW can finally enjoy its state-of-the art facility.

"It was a long process, working through the right design, weather and infrastructure improvements," MPW President Jared Black said. "We tied into the Buckeye Lake sewer system and installed wells for fire suppression."

Justin Pierce, director of engineering and fabrication, said the local facility has grown from two engineers on campus when he started 11 years ago, to 30 engineers today.

The facility has plenty of glass walls, conference rooms, collaboration spaces, hotel seating areas, phone booths, lab space and an exercise room.

"We got a lot of input from engineers on what they'd like to see," said Neil DeWitt, engineering manager for the industrial water division. "The lab space is one of the greatest impacts for the engineers we bring in now. They love this lab. They're in here all the time. It's been a fantastic resource."

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By The Numbers

The following are included in the new MPW Technology Center, opened to the public on Wednesday.

82 cubicles

34 offices

25 televisions

15 wireless access points

13 docks for trailers

12 conference rooms

4 hotel seating areas

4 phone booths

4 collaboration spaces

1 exercise room

Source: MPW