Atlas Copco Secoroc in Fort Loudon broke ground Tuesday for an expansion project that will bring at least 17 new jobs to the area.
"We’ll be hiring logistic managers, quality and environmental managers, and some assembly and logistics staff after January 1, when our new building is ready," says plant manager Keith Macklin.
The plant expansion for the Sweden-based company, which designs and manufactures rock drilling equipment used in construction and mining, will accommodate a consolidation of company operations from Virginia as well as new hires in Fort Loudon.
Increased activity in the global mining industry has allowed Atlas Copco Secoroc to invest $3 million in new equipment in Fort Loudon since 2005.
"There are really two reasons for the move," says Macklin "One is cost consolidation. The second is the logistics of location." That's a nod to the Fulton County plant’s proximity to Marcellus Shale drilling operations in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The 20,000-square foot expansion represents a $1.7 million investment in the Atlas Copco facility, which currently employs 31 workers. The project will break ground "in a few weeks," says Macklin, and be completed by June, 2010.
State financing for the project includes a $75,000 opportunity grant, a $360,000 loan through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, and $25,000 in job training assistance.
Source: Keith Macklin, Atlas Copco SecorocWriter: Chris O'Toole