AST ElectroFin Inc. broke ground recently on a new electrocoat facility to be built in Jacksonville, TX. The $4 million plant will supply E-coating services to the HVAC industry in the southwest United States and Mexico.

AST ElectroFin (Louisville, KY) E-coats condensers, evaporators and chilled/hot water DX coils for virtually all U.S. manufacturers of this type of equipment, the company says. The parts are E-coated to increase the life of these products in environments where corrosion is a problem, such as along seacoasts, in sewage plants and in chemical manufacturing.

Initial employment will be 25 to 30 people, growing to up to 50 over the next few years, the company says. Startup is scheduled for January 2005. AST ElectroFin says it chose Jacksonville because of its strategic location and "attractive incentives" provided by the Jacksonville Economic Development Corp.