TORONTO — Metal-Matic Inc. plans to start production at a new drawn-over-mandrel tubing plant in Middletown, Ohio, this September, a company executive told AMM.

The facility will initially employ 20 people, vice president of operations Robert Baldauff said. "Over a period of time it will, of course, be more," he added.

Baldauff declined to provide a specific numbers, but said published reports of as many as 200 employees were too high.

Minneapolis-based Metal-Matic bought the former Misa Metals Inc. plant in Middletown from Columbus, Ohio-based Worthington Industries Inc. in a deal that closed April 25, Baldauff said, declining to provide financial terms of the transaction.

Bruce Petschen, a company veteran and supervisor at Metal-Matic in Minneapolis, will serve as the plant supervisor in Middleton, Baldauff said.

The company announced plans in February to purchase a 245,000-square foot plant in Middletown that would allow it to boost DOM capacity by between 30,000 and 40,000 tons per year (AMM, Feb. 14).