An adhesive company in Sparta is celebrating four decades of business amid a new expansion project.

Tesa Plant Sparta, a subsidiary of the German skin care company Beiersdorf, was first built in 1982 at 324 S. Union St. in Sparta.

According to the company, the plant employed 15 people, produced two products and occupied a 27,000-square-foot space when it first opened.

Today, 100 employees and 47 products serve the automotive, appliance and flexographic printing markets. The company now is in the middle of its eighth expansion scheduled for completion in 2023. The expansion will bring the manufacturer’s space to a total of 173,000 square feet.

“It’s wonderful to see how much the plant has grown over its history,” said Daniel Germain, president and regional manager for Tesa Tape North America. “And our most exciting growth is yet to come with the completion of our latest expansion next year. It’s a true testament to the hard work of each and every plant employee over the past 40 years that we are going strong today — and will continue to do so for the next 40 years and beyond.”

The current expansion project involves an addition to the plant’s manufacturing space, with machine installation and functional tests planned for October.

The next step of the expansion is a product development space which broke ground in August. The space will include a Customer Solution Center and is scheduled to be completed next year.

“This is a very exciting time for Tesa Plant Sparta,” said Tobias Banik, plant manager. “Not only are we celebrating 40 years, but we are also looking forward to a bright and more sustainable future for our plant and the products we produce. It’s a great time to be a part of the Tesa team.”