KSWC Hercon, a precision machining and downhole tool design company, has begun construction on a 12,000-square-foot building next to its current office on Barely Lane off Jones Road. The project will cost $1.3 million.

The facility will more than double the capacity of the existing 6,000-square-foot building, said Robert Stanton, co-owner and vice president of KSWC. It will also provide a more professional atmosphere with a dedicated assembly area.

"One thing that differentiates us from other engineering groups or machine shops is that we have both the engineering and machining aspects at the same site," he said.

KSWC was founded by Stanton and George King—the company's president—in June 2010 after King acquired a machine shop and business known as Hercon Instruments at the time.

The company has grown rapidly in the past few years, Stanton said. In their first year as owners, Stanton and King contracted around $600,000 in projects. Last year projects totaled $4.5 million with companies like Halliburton, Allied WireLine and Antares USA.

The team now consists of six people, but Stanton said growth is in the future.

"One of the reasons we're trying to get in the new facility is to grow," he said. "We want to add equipment and create jobs. We've been in the area our whole lives, and we love our location."

The project is about half-way complete, Stanton said. He hopes to move into the new building, at 10909 Barely Lane, Houston, in late April or early May. BNC Construction was contracted as the builder. Amegy Bank was the lender that helped in financing the expansion.