A small manufacturer in Willits is betting big on aluminum art panels, with plans to expand its facility, install new computer-controlled equipment, and grow its workforce as international demand climbs. Artefex expects the new machinery to be operating early in 2027, part of a buildout that company leaders say could reshape how much of its product gets made close to home.
The company plans to expand its facility at 430 E. Hill Road, though reports differ on how large it currently is. According to The Press Democrat, Artefex is growing from 8,000 to 12,000 square feet, while Redheaded Blackbelt reported the expansion runs from 4,000 to 12,000 square feet. Both accounts agree on the target size and on the ambition behind it.
Founder Anton O’Hanlon told the Press Democrat that U.S. tariffs on aluminum imported from China accelerated the company’s decision to bring more panel manufacturing in-house rather than continue relying on overseas suppliers. The new equipment is expected to produce panels as large as 5 feet by 20 feet, according to the same report, a jump that could raise annual production capacity fivefold — from about 400 panels sold currently to 2,000.
Financing and Growth Numbers
The expansion is being financed through $350,000 in Redwood Credit Union financing via the SBA’s International Trade Loan program, the Press Democrat reported. O’Hanlon put the company’s current annualized revenue run rate at $1 million, with a projected $3 million in 2027, and described annual sales growth that reached 40% in 2025 and was projected to hit 60% in 2026. The company currently employs 11 people and expects to grow that to 15 to 20 workers by the end of 2027.
That growth trajectory has drawn outside recognition. Artefex was named to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO—100 list of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses for 2026, per the same account from Redheaded Blackbelt, following a first-place win at the World Trade Center Northern California accelerator pitch competition.
A Loan Program Built for Small Manufacturers
The financing tool behind Artefex’s expansion is itself part of a broader federal push. The SBA’s International Trade Loan program was expanded to introduce a 90% federal loan guarantee effective May 1, 2026, according to ASBN. The program is designed to help small manufacturers invest in equipment, scale operations and create jobs — a notable detail given that, per ASBN, the SBA says small businesses represent 98% of U.S. manufacturers nationwide.
For a company operating out of a rural Mendocino County town, that kind of federal backing can make the difference between staying small and scaling up. Artefex’s plans to bring more aluminum art-panel manufacturing in-house reflect a broader test playing out in small manufacturing hubs: whether a company built far from major ports and supply chains can still compete for international business.
