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Shoffner Kalthoff Mechanical Electrical Service is moving to Blount County -- but not just yet.

David Dugger, president and CEO of the Knoxville-based mechanical and electrical contractor, purchased 12.7 acres of commercial property at the intersection of Wright Road and Cusick Road at auction Friday.

The company employs 580 people, most working at construction sites. The new headquarters will be staffed by 80-100 employees, including management and office personnel, accounting staff, project managers, estimators and shop personnel.

The company plans to move its operations to the Alcoa location as early as 2010 -- "Hopefully," Dugger said.

The timing is up to the economy.

"We're going to pay for property, hold onto it and see what happens," he said.

Looking to expand

Shoffner Kalthoff needs more space than is available at its leased headquarters on Papermill Road in Knoxville, Dugger said. The Alcoa property, two lots sold as one, went for $760,000.

"Reasonable property is hard to find, even with the downturn in the economy," Dugger said.

The company had been looking for a new location for its operations for awhile. It learned of the opportunity to acquire the Cusick Road property from a flier it received from Furrow Auction Co., which conducted the auction.

Dugger liked the property's size and shape and noted the site will not require much grading to build the company's office and manufacturing operations.

"The location's great," he said. "The access to the interstate has a tremendous bearing."

The company's facilities include prefabrication shops for sheet metal ductwork and plumbing, mechanical and process piping.

It specializes in HVAC, plumbing, process piping, maintenance services, industrial ventilation, millwright, boiler repair, sheet metal fabrication and electrical maintenance for commercial and industrial industries.

Several Blount projects

Shoffner Kalthoff isn't moving to unknown territory. The electrical and mechanical contractor firm is working now on the Clayton Center for the Arts at Maryville College. Previous jobs include the Clayton Homes headquarters and DENSO Manufacturing.

"We do an awfully lot of work in Blount County," said Dugger, who purchased the company in 2005 in a merger.

While the economy will determine the timing of the move to Alcoa, Dugger said the company continues to perform despite the sluggish construction industry.

Current contracts include the Franklin Woods Community Hospital in Johnson City, Harrah's Casino expansion in Cherokee, N.C., the new FBI facility in Knoxville, the Knoxville Police Officers Building and the Scripps Networks in Knoxville.

Previously, the firm completed contracts for Boeing Aerospace, U.S. Cellular, the University of Tennessee, Calhouns, Regal Cinemas and Pilot Oil.

Shoffner Kalthoff Mechanical Electrical Service is licensed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.