Supply Side: American Seating, Wabtec, Smart North Florida/TRAINFO
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
American Seating reveals plans for new headquarters. Also, Wabtec Corp. (Wabtec) will invest $2.7 million to increase capacity in Virginia’s City of Salem; and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) partners with Smart North Florida and TRAINFO in a pilot program aimed to ease traffic congestion at a railroad crossing in San Marco, Fla.
Transportation-seating products provider American Seating recently revealed plans for its new corporate headquarters and manufacturing operations at 1040 40th St. SE in Grand Rapids, Mich., located seven miles from the company’s current site on Grand Rapids’ northwest side where it has been since its inception in 1886.
According to the company, American Seating is renovating an existing facility into a more than 120,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art hub for transportation-seating product design, manufacturing and speed to market—”a technically advanced workplace that will support the company’s growth and vision for the future.”
Renovation work at the new location just recently began, and company leaders anticipate starting to move into the new space at the end of the year. The move, American Seating says, will be coordinated for minimal disruption to operations and to ensure customer needs and expectations are met. The company is in hiring mode in advance of the move, with new job growth tracking at 7% in 2023 and expected to be an additional 10% by year end.
“Our new headquarters and manufacturing plant is an important and significant commitment to our employees, our customers and the transportation-seating industry,” said American Seating President and CEO Thomas Bush. “We’re excited to share these major plans for the next chapter in our history as a company.”
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on July 19 announced that Wabtec will invest $2.7 million to expand its existing Graham-White facility in City of Salem to accommodate the relocation of its pneumatically controlled braking systems manufacturing lines, after beating out Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Mexico for the project, which is expected to create 38 new jobs.
Since the early 1900s, Wabtec has partnered with transportation companies to develop heavy-duty pneumatic and electro-pneumatic valves and accessories. Its Graham-White facility, which currently employs more than 200 in Salem, Va., manufactures air dryers, valves, gages/flowmeters, and braking equipment for rail freight, rail transit, truck, and bus industry customers.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) worked with the City of Salem and the Roanoke Regional Partnership to secure the project for Virginia and will support Graham-White Manufacturing’s job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP), which provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs to support employee recruitment and training activities. As a business incentive supporting economic development, the state-funded VJIP reduces the human resource costs of new and expanding companies, “demonstrating Virginia’s commitment to enhancing job opportunities for citizens.”
The City of Salem, Roanoke Regional Partnership, Greater Roanoke Workforce Development Board, and Center for Manufacturing Excellence in SWVA will provide custom programs to support the company’s expansion in Salem, including talent recruitment, marketing assistance, and workforce training.
“Wabtec Corporation’s expansion of its Salem facility fuels the resurgence of high-quality manufacturing jobs in Virginia, and we thank the company for its long-term commitment to the Commonwealth as a valued employer,” said Gov. Youngkin. “The Roanoke Region offers the skilled workforce and custom solutions to support Wabtec’s continued growth, and we are confident they will thrive for the next 100 years in Virginia.”
“As a leading global provider of transportation solutions, we are proud of our long history of manufacturing excellence in Salem and delighted to be expanding our operations there,” said Mike Fetsko, President of Wabtec’s Freight & Industrial Components business. “Wabtec’s collaborative relationship with the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the business-friendly approach from state and local agencies, provided us with the confidence to make this significant investment. With new products and additional high-quality manufacturing jobs, our expansion in Salem represents our continued commitment to the community and its key role in supporting Wabtec’s future growth.”
FDOT is partnering with Jacksonville, Fla.-based non-profit Smart North Florida and Canadian-based TRAINFO on a pilot program that will place sensors at the rail crossing at Hendricks Avenue in San Marco, according to a First Coast News report.
According to the report, the sensors will warn people nearby through message boards and mapping technology when rail crossings are expected to be closed.
FDOT, which is studying the area, says the sensors work well at the rail crossing on US-17 and Roosevelt Boulevards on Jacksonville’s westside, according to the report.
