NORTHWOOD — Ground was broken this last week in Northwood as ADA Enterprises Inc. looks to double the size of its facility.

The company is a manufacturer of plastic-coated steel animal flooring, which is used in the swine, dairy and veterinary industries to help keep animals comfortable, dry and healthy, according to Tom Stensrud, president and CEO at ADA Enterprises.

The steel mesh flooring allows animal waste to fall through the floor, helping to prevent the animal from lying in its own waste and make operations less labor-intensive. The PVC coating the steel is treated with prevents rust to make the products not only last longer, but easier to clean.

Everything this side of the company makes is custom built specifically to the customer’s needs, which also means the company cannot make anything without an existing order to fill.

Over the years, due to the ups and downs of the swine industry, the company added the Premier Polysteel Outdoor Furniture division to its operation. This division makes commercial grade outdoor furniture such as picnic tables and benches for municipalities, restaurants and other public venues including parks, fairs and zoos. This allows the company to keep busy when the demand for its other products dip.

Stensrud said the current building they use is 27,000 square feet. The expansion will more than double the operation with an additional 31,500 square feet.

According to Stensrud, there will be three parts to the project, and the first will be the actual construction of the addition by Larson Contracting. Weather permitting, he anticipates construction will be done sometime in the beginning of December. Once the addition is constructed, phase two will include installing a brand new, state-of-the-art coating line system, which will be more efficient and help create an even higher quality product. Once that line is up and running, phase three will include removing the old coating system line to make about seven new offices.

The company anticipates hiring another 10 to 11 employees in the next five years as a result of the expansion and the continued demand for its products.