L&M Radiator Inc. announced a $17.6 million plan to expand the manufacturing and office spaces at its Hibbing headquarters.
 
The 100,000-square-feet in additions are expected to create the need for 22 additional workers at the site.
 
The company, which manufactures and distributes radiators and other heat exchangers for heavy equipment in the mining and oil and gas industries, currently employs 450 people between its plants in Hibbing; South Dakota; Australia, Chile, and Mexico.
 
L&M Radiator said the jobs created from the expansion would be entry-level, paying an average of $15.86 an hour.
 
In support of L&M Radiator’s investment, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is contributing a $354,000 grant from the state’s Job Creation Fund. The company will receive the money after meeting its hiring and investment commitments, DEED said in a release.
 
“I thank L&M Radiator for their continued commitment to the Iron Range and the state of Minnesota,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith in a statement. “This expansion will create good jobs for Minnesota workers and support efforts to diversify the Range economy. Expansions like this one highlight the benefits of public-private collaborations to grow jobs and create opportunity for workers and families in every corner of Minnesota.”
 
L&M Radiator was established in 1957 in Hibbing. Dan Chisholm, president of L&M Radiator, is the third generation of the family to run the company.
 
Products made by L&M Radiator are sold under the Mesabi brand.
 
“L&M Radiator is a rapidly growing company,” said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy in a statement. Just this year, the company added 100 jobs to its U.S. operations and now boasts an annual payroll at its Hibbing plant topping $8.5 million.
 
“We’re happy to see this family-owned business bringing additional jobs and investment to the community,” added Hardy.