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BUSINESS Darex adding space and employees amid a sales boom Ashland company regains its stride with knife-sharpening product Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness Posted Jun. 22, 2016 at 12:03 PM Updated Jun 22, 2016 at 4:21 PM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness Posted Jun. 22, 2016 at 12:03 PM Updated Jun 22, 2016 at 4:21 PM » Social News The bounce is back in Darex's step. The global sharpening-device company has regained its swagger to the point it's going through its largest expansion in more than a decade and has hit a new peak in employment. From its industrial-grade sharpener roots through its Drill Doctor consumer growth phase, the Ashland company cautiously forged ahead, looking for the "next thing" before the recession decked the firm. With the advent of its Work Sharp knife-sharpening brand, however, Darex not only got off the canvas, but showed it still packs a marketplace punch. "We had a lot of success with Drill Doctor, but we're always looking for ways to introduce products to the market," said CEO Matthew Bernard, the company's fourth-generation leader. Work Sharp products, targeted for outdoors, hunting and fishing shoppers at the likes of Bass Pro, Cabela's, Sportsman's Warehouse and Dick's Sporting Goods, have been an integral part of Darex's growth in revenue, which now exceeds $30 million. With demand on the rise and the company poised to unveil a new product, Darex is going through a million-dollar-plus capital expansion. The company is building a warehouse in order to consolidate storage that forced it to rent space in nearby locations. Bernard has been on the road, preparing for a new-generation knife sharpener expected to hit store shelves in September. The device will retail for $50, significantly less than the present series priced at $70 or more. "With the new lines, we had to buy more material and needed a place to store it," Bernard said. "We're renting 15,000 square feet from other people around us, so we thought the time was right to expand our facility." The 24,621-square-foot addition being built by Adroit Construction behind the existing 39,962-square-foot plant on East Hersey Street is due for completion by December. The company now employs 150, a dramatic increase from recessionary times when the payroll fell below 80, Bernard said. The head count even surpasses previous highs in the 130 to 140 range. "We used to bulk-up with temporary workers then go quiet for a while," he said. "Now we're hiring more full-time folks, doing it slow and steady." Last year, Darex earned statewide recognition when it was named to the Oregonian Media Group's Top Workplaces based on employee surveys. While companies evaluating the Rogue Valley often consider it too distant from consumer markets, Bernard said access to the I-5 corridor makes trucking viable for his firm. Nevertheless, some markets are expensive to reach. "In some cases we're filling up whole trucks with overseas shipments," he said. "In those cases, the cost of crossing the Atlantic is about the same as getting to the Atlantic." He said 65 percent of the company's sales are domestic, while Europe accounts for 20 to 25 percent and Australia about 10 percent. "We're easily the top brand in the outdoor sharpener consumer market," Bernard said. "We're not necessarily growing just to grow, we're interested in being sustainable. I have a 4-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son. I'm the fourth generation here, and I want them to be the fifth generation." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31 . By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness Posted Jun. 22, 2016 at 12:03 PM Updated Jun 22, 2016 at 4:21 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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