Location, Location, Relocation

Oct. 1, 2007
AWC Breaks Ground for New PA Facility Allied Wire and Cable broke ground this summer on a new international headquarters in Collegeville, Pa. The new

AWC Breaks Ground for New PA Facility

Allied Wire and Cable broke ground this summer on a new international headquarters in Collegeville, Pa. The new building includes 82,000 square feet of office, warehouse and production space. AWC plans to move into the Collegeville facility by the end of 2007.

“When you consider that we just moved into our current building less than six years ago, the move is truly remarkable,” says AWC President Tim Flynn. “The incredible growth we have experienced at Allied Wire is only possible due to the hard work of our employees and the support of our customers.”

The ceremony to mark the occasion included Pennsylvania Congressman Jim Gerlach and Representative Bob Mensch, along with other members of the immediate community.

Granite City Opens 21st Location in Springfield, Mass.

Granite City Electric Supply Co. (GCE), based in Quincy, Mass., continues its New England expansion with a new 22,500-square-foot warehouse and distribution hub in Springfield, Mass.

“Having a warehouse/hub in western Massachusetts allows us to respond to our customers' needs not only in Springfield, but in the southern Vermont and Connecticut markets as well,” says Shawn Courtney, branch manager of the new Springfield location. “We will offer the same outstanding service packages that exist at our other locations, including overnight ‘Night Train’ delivery and 24-hour emergency service.”

“Springfield has always been a target for us. We are excited about expanding our presence in New England and serving the western Massachusetts market,” said Steve Helle, president of GCE.

Square D Celebrates 50 Years in Lexington

Dignitaries from Schneider Electric North America and the city of Lexington gathered last month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Square D production facility in Lexington, Ky. Current and former employees who have worked at the plant over the past five decades also were on hand.

“Square D has played an important leadership role in the corporate community since forming its partnership with Lexington in 1957,” said David Petratis, president and CEO of Schneider Electric's North American Operating Division. “In addition to employing more than 500 people and giving back to the community in multiple ways, we're pleased that the plant continues to contribute to the success of the Square D brand and Schneider Electric as a whole.”

When the Lexington facility was built by Square D in 1957, 250 employees produced enclosures for QO residential circuit breakers in a 179,000-square-foot plant. Today, the Lexington operation — one of the largest Square D facilities — employs more than 500 administrative, engineering, manufacturing and marketing people in a 480,000-square-foot plant. Products manufactured include load centers, general and heavy-duty safety switches and components shipped to other Square D facilities. Lexington's Square D facility is currently undergoing another expansion. Schneider Electric has recently invested $9 million in upgrades.

In addition to supplying the community with employment opportunities, Square D gives back to Lexington through a variety of charitable organizations and civic group sponsorships. The plant has longstanding relationships with Habitat for Humanity, United Way, American Heart Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters, to name a few. The Lexington facility also has provided monetary support and donations to several community organizations including the Lexington Fraternal Order of Firefighters Toy Program, God's Pantry, Hope Center and the Ronald McDonald House.

W.A.C. Lighting Moving Across China

W.A.C. Lighting, Garden City, N.Y., is moving staff and equipment from its current 250,000-square-foot China-based manufacturing and distribution facilities to a brand-new 750,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility in QingXi, DongGuan in the province of GuangDong. The new ISO-9001 certified facility will have its official grand opening in November, and will employ and house a staff of 2,500 when it reaches full capacity.

Production and assembly of the complete W.A.C. Lighting and W2 Architectural Lighting lines will all be done at one location. The new facility will enable WAC craftsmen to create precision components utilizing a broad range of processes: die-casting; plastic extrusion; injection molding; CNC lathe and metal punching; moldmaking; spinning; lead-free SMT electronic production; and automated powdercoating, the company says.

A “Lighting Application, Showroom & Training Center” that covers over 20,000 square feet will display and demonstrate the firm's complete product line. Another 20,000 square feet will house a product testing center to ensure stringent quality standards for endurance, durability, reliability, temperature, electrical componentry, lamp and luminaire performance, photometrics and mechanical safety.

Wing Enterprises, Inc. Relocates World Corporate Headquarters

Wing Enterprises, Inc. is relocating its worldwide corporate headquarters to a new manufacturing and operations facility in Springville, Utah. The ladder manufacturer, maker of the Little Giant ladder system, sought a new location with an advanced innovations lab, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and a world-class center for testing and quality control.

“We love our new facility. We have increased our manufacturing capacity and have an ideal office layout. This move was needed to help us continue to grow and penetrate the market with ever-expanding product lines. We have the best people on earth and are excited about what we will be able to do with our increased automation, robotics, testing facilities, and many new products that are coming online,” said Hal Wing, founder.

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