WETHERSFIELD — Observing an employee unloading steel bundles, Karl Drasgow talks about his company’s newest additions. Several workers were previously needed to unload steel bundles at the location — an operation requiring a forklift, which was done outside in all weather. But the newly-opened steel warehouse includes a 5 ton-capacity overhead hoist. It drastically reduces the work involved, which now requires only a single employee to unload the bundles. “We’re going through about 30,000 pounds of steel per week, and that should go to 50,000 or so when we’re in full flow,” Drasgow said Tuesday. “The crane should save quite a bit of labor costs. We only have one material handler loading and unloading stuff. Before we had to shut down a couple machines and go in the parking lot with the fork truck, in the cold, wind and snow out here.” Drasgow Inc. has grown steadily since its founding 10 years ago. Even its new facility built in 2007 had become increasingly crowded. The company officially opened three new additions last week, including the steel warehouse, a new work area, and a new office space. They total 9,216 square feet, which more than doubles the size of the Poplar Tree Road location. The state’s Empire State Development Board has likewise announced a $125,000 grant which will cover about 15 percent of the project’s total cost. “We were really out of space before,” Drasgow said. “We only had the center building, and Friday nights we had to move everything from the parking lot into the building. We couldn’t even move around in there. And then on Monday we’d have to move everything back into the parking lot to operate the machines. We were just completely out of room.” The new additions solve several of the plant’s difficulties. Besides the crane, the warehouse has increased the plant’s storage capacity from 44 to about 100 of the heavy steel bundles. A second addition on the plant’s south end now houses areas for computerized numerical control manufacturing and a grinding area, along with the attached new office and a distance learning lab for employees being designed in conjunction with Genesee Community College. The plant’s existing offices are being used to double the size of Drasgow Inc.’s quality control department. Drasgow said the state grant funding will help set up an internal training program, along with some computer-assisted design operations, and covering some cost overruns. But the state’s show of confidence was also valuable in encouraging financiers to invest in the project. “At times when you’re doing a project like this, it’s a big thing to bite off, so a little bit of extra money to ride over the top of a few problems will really help us out,” he said. The company’s total space has more-than-doubled from 6,750 to 15,786 square feet. The company’s workforce will likewise increase from 16 to 26 employees over the course of the upgrades, which are expected to continue over the next five years. Drasgow Inc. manufactures steel components for the automotive, the military and other industries. Its clients include Toyota, Volkswagen, BMW, Chrysler and Ford among others. Drasgow credits his employees for their role, along with the knowledge he earned from the University at Buffalo School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, from which he graduated in 2010. The company completed its ISO Certification last year, which has also helped attract customers. “Making it through the recession, I had a few key employees who stayed with me, and having those trained people around really helped,” he said. Fifty percent of companies fail within the first five years, and another 50 percent fail in the five years that follow, Drasgow said. The challenge turns from building a company — and surmounting its technical aspects — to managing people. “ … The University at Buffalo’s program was truly exceptional to take people like me, entrepreneurs, and teach them how to run a business,” Drasgow said. “So that program is really key to me becoming a bigger company, having more employees, and dealing with those issues.” The Daily News Posted: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 12:00 am