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Recent Arrivals and Expansions |
| VENT MAKER TO GROW-CAPTIVE-AIRE BUYS NEARBY BUILDING; PRODUCTION TO START UP IN JANUARY |
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Record Searchlight, October 27, 2007
By David Benda
Kitchen-vent manufacturer Captive-Aire is spending nearly $2 million to expand its operations in Redding.
The North Carolina company, which opened in Redding a little more that a year ago, paid $1.7 million this week for a vacant building on Thunderbird Drive.
The 23,000-square-foot building, which has been owned by Salt Creek Holding Co./Cross Petroleum, is next to Captive-Aire's main plant on Lockheed Drive, across the road from Redding Municipal Airport.
Salt Creek Holding/Cross Petroleum purchased the Thunderbird Drive site in October 2005 from Webb Morrow for $1.3 million, Shasta County property records show.
Plant Manager Csaba Sikur expects to be up and running in the new building in January. He wouldn't say what Captive-Aire will be manufacturing in the Thunderbird Drive facility.
"I am 95 percent certain, but I don't want to say in case something changes," Sikur said Friday. He also wouldn't say how many new employees the company will hire to staff the new facility.
Captive-Aire's growth in Redding has been steady.
Since its opening, the company has nearly tripled its work force to 80 employees. Production-line workers stare at $9 an hour with no skills and $10 an hour with experience.
Captive-Aire is the nation's largest manufacturer of kitchen-ventilation systems. The company, which was established in 1976, expects to generate $200 million in sales this year, up from $150 million two years ago. The company also has manufacturing plants in Youngsville, NC; Muskogee, OK and West Union, IA, and sales offices.
In Redding, Captive-Aire is based inside the former Redding French Bakery building, which it bought for $2.15 million in cash in May 2006.
"Overall, Captive-Aire is doing well around the country, with double-digit growth the past four years," president and founder Robert Luddy said Friday by phone from the company's Raleigh, NC headquarters. "Redding has done extremely well because it's our first plant we have had on the West Coast, so it's serving all of eight and a good part of 11 Western states."
Commercial agent Mike Papillo of North Country Properties in Palo Cedro said the Thunderbird Drive building has been on the market for about five months.
"I had a couple of other buyers looking at it, but their needs went away," Papillo said. "It's very fortunate the timing was right for their (Captive-Aire's) expansion needs."
Sikur thinks expanding its Redding operation will help Captive-Aire gain an even stronger foothold in the West.
"Redding has been a good city to work in," Sikur said. "Obviously we are satisfied because we are spending more than a million dollars in the building." |
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| FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE NORTH AMERICA TO BE TENANT IN SHASTA GATEWAY INDUSTRIAL PARK |
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SHASTA COUNTY, Calif., (June 13, 2007) — The Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County, in partnership with the City of Shasta Lake and Spartan Logistics, is pleased to announce a new tenant for Shasta Gateway Industrial Park in Shasta Lake. Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) is the previously undisclosed tenant for the distribution center under construction in the Shasta Gateway Industrial Park.
The state-of-the-art facility will serve as a regional distribution center for FMCNA, the world’s largest integrated provider of products and services for individuals with chronic kidney failure, a condition that affects more than 1,500,000 individuals worldwide.
FMCNA will occupy 70,000-square-feet in the Shasta Gateway Industrial Park. The park encompasses approximately 230 acres and was developed by the city to promote opportunities for economic growth. Presently, 50 acres are developed as part of the first phase, with the remaining undeveloped area reserved for future expansion.
Shasta County, located on Interstate 5 equidistant between Seattle and Los Angeles, provided a strategic location to site the FMCNA facility, according to Senior Director of Distribution Operations Kevin King.
“The new Shasta County location is another addition to the company’s integrated distribution network within the United States,” said King. “It will allow us to better serve our customer base in this region.”
Construction began in May 2006 and is expected to be completed in August 2007. When complete, FMCNA expects to employ an initial staff of up to 40 employees.
“Fresenius Medical Care North America will bring quality jobs to Shasta County,” said Cheryl Calhoun, chairwoman for the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County. “This is another indication of the welcoming business environment that Shasta County provides for companies.”
Shasta County boasts a high quality of life, unmatched recreational opportunities, excellent schools, affordable housing and first-class healthcare, making the county a preferred location for business and industry.
“It is very gratifying for our city to attract a world-class employer like Fresenius”, said Fred Castagna, Project Manager for the City of Shasta Lake. “Credit goes to our community’s leaders who had the foresight to develop ready-to-build industrial sites in Shasta Lake.”
Through its network of approximately 2,194 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific and Africa, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatment to approximately 169,216 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the world's largest provider of dialysis products, such as hemodialysis machines, dialyzers and related disposable products. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME, FME3) and the New York Stock Exchange (FMS, FMS/P). The company’s North American headquarters is located in Waltham, Mass., a suburb of Boston.
A nonprofit corporation, the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County provides information and facilitation for companies looking to expand or relocate in Redding, Anderson, Shasta Lake or anywhere in Shasta County. For more information on the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County, visit its website at www.shastaedc.org or call 1-800-207-4278. |
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| SOUTHERN ALUMINUM FINISHING CO.
OPENS FACILITY IN SHASTA COUNTY |
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SHASTA COUNTY, Calif., (Feb. 5, 2007) — The Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County and City of Redding are pleased to announce that Southern Aluminum Finishing Co. will open a Western plant operation in Shasta County on March 15 at 4350 Caterpillar Road, Redding, Calif.
The facility will mirror its Atlanta capabilities for the distribution and fabrication of aluminum sheet and extrusions for the commercial construction market, including glazing contractors, subcontractors, architects, design/build contractors, owners and manufacturers.
Southern Aluminum Finishing’s new 20,000-square-feet plant, in addition to expanding the company’s national distribution and production services, will also augment the company’s Western Division sales office established in San Diego.
Shasta County, strategically located on Interstate 5, equidistant between Seattle and Los Angeles, provided a welcoming business environment to locate Southern Aluminum Finishing, according to project manager, Jim McClatchey.
“The Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County and City of Redding team have clearly shown that Shasta County is a competitive location by providing our company with the advantages and support needed to insure growth and profitability in the western states market place,” said McClatchey.
Boasting a high quality of life, along with lower operating costs, including low-cost Redding Municipal Electric Utilities, unmatched recreational opportunities, excellent schools, affordable housing and first-class healthcare, the Shasta County is a preferred location for business and industry.
“We have seen tremendous construction growth throughout the west,” added McClatchey. “From this Northern California location on Interstate 5, a major transportation artery, we will be able to offer overnight delivery of anodized and mill finish aluminum to most of the west coast.”
The leased facility will meet Southern Aluminum Finishing’s current needs, but according to McClatchey, the company will continue to explore potential site options for development of a larger, multipurpose facility.
Shasta County was recently designated one of 23 Enterprise Zones by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Businesses within the Shasta Metro Enterprise Zone are eligible for significant tax credits, including $31,234 or more in state tax credits for each qualified employee hired and sales tax credits on purchases of $20 million per year of qualified machinery and machinery parts.
Southern Aluminum Finishing is the lone aluminum service center in the country with anodizing and painting facilities, a full-time fabrication center, and an unparalleled stock of sheet and extrusions, architectural column covers and panel systems from a single source. This enables the company to provide quick, one-stop expertise, service and accountability. The company has next business day order fulfillment for mill finish, anodized and cut-to-length extrusions. For more information on Southern Aluminum Finishing Co., visit www.saf.com, or contact Jim McClatchey at (800) 241-7429.
Southern Aluminum Finishing is the second southern states company to announce western states manufacturing and distribution operations in Redding in recent months. In May 2006, North Carolina-based Captive-Aire opened its new facility in the City of Redding’s Airport Business Park.
A nonprofit corporation, the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County provides information and facilitation for companies looking to expand or relocate in Redding, Anderson, Shasta Lake or anywhere in Shasta County. For more information on the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County, visit its website at www.shastaedc.org, or contact Jim Zauher at (800) 207-4278. |
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| ELEMENT STANDARDS OPENS FACILITY IN SHASTA GATEWAY INDUSTRIAL PARK |
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SHASTA COUNTY, Calif., (Nov. 9, 2006)—The Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County is pleased to announce that Elements Standards Inc. has opened a new state-of-the-art manufacturing training facility in the Shasta Gateway Industrial Park.
Elements is a manufacturer of calibration standards that focus on a narrow range of measurements used in verification of trace elemental analysis. Its products are used in a variety of industries including semi-conductor, environmental protection, forensic, aeronautic and cosmic research, water quality and petrochemical.
Elements will occupy 1,050-square-feet in the Shasta Gateway Industrial Park. The park encompasses approximately 230 acres and was developed by the city to promote opportunities for economic growth. Presently, 50 acres are developed as part of the first phase, with the remaining undeveloped area reserved for future expansion.
“Elements is another indication of the entrepreneurial environment that Shasta County provides for start up companies,” said Jim Zauher, president of the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County. “Although Elements is starting out small, by nurturing companies like these, Shasta County can generate future job creation and investment.”
Shasta County, strategically located on Interstate 5 equidistant between Seattle and Los Angeles, provided a welcoming business environment to locate Elements, according to co-founders Eric Mogensen and Dave Lefson.
“We are very pleased with the reception from the city of Shasta Lake and the Economic Development Corporation team,” said Mogensen. “The support available to business owners in Shasta County is outstanding and straight forward.”
John Jones, project manager for the city of Shasta Lake, is always cautious when assisting a start up company, but Elements was a different story.
“When Elements showed me their first order of $80,000 from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I knew they were the real deal,” said Jones. “Eric Mogensen and Dave Lefson are true entrepreneurs who know where they are headed.”
According to Mogensen, the company is scheduled to hire seven employees in its initial year, while adding approximately 15 employees in the following two years.
Shasta County boasts a high quality of life, unmatched recreational opportunities, excellent schools, affordable housing and first-class healthcare, making the county a preferred location for business and industry.
A nonprofit corporation, the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County provides information and facilitation for companies looking to expand or relocate in Redding, Anderson, Shasta Lake or anywhere in Shasta County. For more information on the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County, visit its website at www.shastaedc.org, or contact Jim Zauher at 1-800-207-4278. |
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| SHASTA COUNTY BRANCH OF GLOBAL FIRM LEVERAGES INTERNATIONAL MARKET |
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SHASTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA—Many people and media editorials have complained of jobs going overseas due to an outsourcing trend. However, a major international full-service project delivery company, CH2M HILL, has capitalized on opportunities in the global marketplace and is “in-sourcing” a portion of its labor force from overseas to its operations within the United States. The company has more than 200 offices throughout the world, including 160 within the United States. One of the company’s regional operations located in Redding, California, is experiencing excellent growth with an expanding workforce now at more than 200 people in the northern or “Upstate” region of California.
CH2M HILL is a full service project delivery company. Historically, its focus has been on major public infrastructure, including roads, water, power, and sewage, and remediation of hazardous waste and nuclear waste sites. It also serves companies in several industrial sectors. Its suite of services includes engineering, planning, environmental sciences, economics, construction, and contract operations.
CH2M HILL has more than 200 locations worldwide and 14,500 employees around the world. The firm was named by Fortune magazine as one of the Best Places to Work in 2003.
“We have been successful in recruiting people from throughout the U.S. and around the world to our office in Redding,” said Ed Christofferson, Vice President of CH2M HILL. “We have also exported our staff’s talents to help our international clients implement major infrastructure projects in locations throughout the world.”
CH2M HILL’s Redding office has an employee who relocated from Scotland, and six graduates of colleges and universities in other countries, including Bangladesh, Canada, and China, according to Christofferson. The company has worked in more than 110 countries on six continents.
“The Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County takes pride in the fact that an international company with the stature of CH2M Hill can continue to expand and provide quality employment opportunities,” said Jim Zauher, President of the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County. “They are proof Shasta County can provide the labor supply and lifestyle needed in today’s professional environment and global economy.”
CH2M HILL believes so much in diversity and international recruitment and service that it recently forged a partnership with non-profit Engineers Without Borders – USA (EWB-USA). The partnership involves the implementation of environmentally equitable and economically sustainable engineering projects, while involving and training internationally responsible engineering professionals and students.
EWB-USA projects involve the design and construction of water, wastewater, sanitation, energy and shelter systems.
“The experience and training that young engineers receive by participating in an EWB-USA project is extraordinary,” said CH2M HILL Vice Chairman Bud Ahearn. “These are the young professionals whom we want working for us in the future – individuals who are aware of global concerns and cultural differences and who understand the sustainable technologies needed to build infrastructure in the developing world.”
“CH2MHILL partners with and recruits from universities throughout Northern California, but we also recruit for certain specialties from universities throughout the U.S. and increasingly throughout the world,” said Christofferson.
Aside from its several foreign-born employees, “We have 10 graduates of CSU Chico, five from UC Davis, four from Humboldt State University, and two from CSU Sacramento,” said Christofferson. “We have 13 grads from Shasta Community College – primarily technicians and administrative assistants. We have graduates from universities in 25 of the 50 United States.”
He added, “We are adding employees in a majority of our office locations. We have current openings for 27 additional staff in Redding, and we anticipate adding as many as 40 employees by the year’s end. Finding qualified engineers and scientists is a challenge, but Shasta County is an appealing location. We have been fortunate to be able to recruit specialists from throughout the U.S. and other countries. Our employees from overseas have adapted well and enjoy the lifestyle in Shasta County. In some cases, they came to this country for other employment, but have chosen to pursue a career with us here in Shasta County. Over the last few years, our local staff has worked on projects in Israel, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, China and several other countries. So, not only do we import talent, we also export it as well.”
No matter what their economic and social background is, people are attracted to Shasta County, Christofferson said.
“The continued economic prosperity, lifestyle opportunities, and unique labor availability make the future bright for Shasta County,” said Zauher.
The company name is derived from the names of the founders of the company. In 1946, Fred Merryfield (an Oregon State College civil engineering professor), Holly Cornell, James Howland, and T. Burke Hayes (former students of Merryfield) formed CH2M using their initials to form the company name. In 1971, they merged with Clair A. Hill & Associates in Redding to become CH2M HILL.
Shasta County sits in the northern or “Upstate” region of California, with its metro areas lying astride the scenic Sacramento River and strategically located equidistant from Los Angeles and Seattle. The cities of Shasta Lake, Redding, and Anderson are all located within the Redding Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Boasting a high quality of life, unmatched recreational opportunities, excellent schools, affordable housing, first-class healthcare, and a welcoming business environment, the county is growing as a center for business and industry. |
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| BLUE SHIELD CHOOSES CITY OF
REDDING FOR MAJOR OFFICE CENTER |
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City of Redding/Shasta County, CA—May 9, 2002—In another sign of the growing attractiveness of Redding and the Shasta County region as a business and corporate location, leading healthcare company Blue Shield of California announced today that it plans to open a major, multi-million dollar regional administrative office center in the City of Redding.
Slated for opening by next summer, the proposed facility will be designed to initially house 400 workers, including 270 customer service and claims processing employees currently working out of Blue Shield’s offices in Red Bluff who will be relocated to the new Redding site.
“We are honored that Blue Shield of California has chosen Redding for its new, expanded operation,” said Redding Mayor Carl P. (Pat) Kight. “The Redding team has a tough act to follow since our neighbors to the south in Red Bluff have been this company’s business partners for the last 18 years,” Kight added. “We look forward to the challenge and welcome Blue Shield’s Tehama County employees to Redding, California. We’re glad you’re here!”
Redding City Manager Mike Warren said, “we are pleased by Blue Shield of California’s decision to expand its operations to the City of Redding, bringing with it new career opportunities for our residents. We are also convinced that the quality of this development will reflect the character of our community.”
Jim Zauher, president of the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County, said the announcement is a “clear indication that prominent companies are being drawn to Redding and Shasta County and understand the value of doing business here—today and into the future.”
Bob Stephenson, operations director for Blue Shield’s Red Bluff and Chico offices, expressed great appreciation to the Red Bluff community for its support in the last 18 years. “With the possibility of significant growth in both our North Valley office, we needed new space that could accommodate all our business needs, and Redding offered us that opportunity,” he noted.
Blue Shield’s Red Bluff employees are expected to be transferred in the summer of 2003 to the new Redding location. The healthcare company will retain its Chico office, home to more than 400 employees.
The proposed Blue Shield - Redding facility must yet be approved by the City of Redding’s Planning Commission. Its proposed location is at the city’s southern entrance, close to Interstate 5 at the northwest corner of Bonnyview Road and Bechelli Lane. The first phase of construction will consist of an 80,000 square foot facility costing an estimated $13 million. Ultimately, plans are for two additional 50,000 square foot buildings to be added, creating a 180,000 square foot facility that can house as many as 1,000 Blue Shield employees.
Architect Mark Posnick of the Roseville, California architectural and planning firm Williams & Paddon has been selected to design the facility. The design is intended to blend into the environment, utilizing colors and textures that harmonize with the surroundings.
With a population of more than 80,000, Redding is the county seat of scenic Shasta County. Located in the northern or “Upstate” region of California, Shasta County’s metro areas lie astride the scenic Sacramento River and are strategically located equidistant from Los Angeles and Seattle. Boasting a high quality of life and a welcoming business environment, the county is growing as a center for business, industry, and distribution facilities.
A not-for-profit corporation, Blue Shield of California is one of the state’s leading healthcare companies with about 2.3 million members and 4,000 employees. (Website: www.mylifepath.com.) |
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| POPULAR MAKER OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE STANDUP AND SIT-DOWN HYDROFOILS COMES TO SHASTA COUNTY |
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REDDING, CA (September 14, 2004)—The Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County is pleased to announce that Comptech Marine, popular makers of the high-performance Sky Ski Hydrofoils, is coming to Redding. Comptech Marine recently bought Sky Ski and has decided to relocate all operations from the former Lake Elsinore site to a 7,000 square-foot site in Redding. The Sky Ski is a sit-down waterski with a three-foot hydrofoil attached, allowing riders to ride up out of the water on wings that remain in the water.
Comptech Marine completed the purchase and sale with Sky Ski on July 15, coming to an agreement with Sky Ski to purchase all the rights to manufacture and market the hydrofoil line.
“We will move all the manufacturing to Shasta County, and the Sky Ski product line will now be based in Redding,” said Don Erb, president of Comptech Marine. “We’re going to bring all of our operations under one roof, as we previously had Sky Ski in Lake Elsinore and manufacturing being done at Comptech USA, a manufacturer of Aftermarket High Performance car parts in El Dorado Hills. I look at Redding and Shasta County as a friendly, low cost, and tight knit community that offers wonderful quality of life and skiing adventures year-round, be it snow skiing or water skiing, which makes it an ideal location for our company.”
Comptech Marine and the Sky Ski line will be headquartered at 1651 Zachi Way in Redding. The new contact number will be (530) 244-6837. The company was represented by Craig & Carol ERA Select Properties of Redding.
“Sky Ski's decision to relocate to Shasta County is indicative of the recent surge in industrial prospect activity since the first of the year,” said Jim Zauher, president of the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County. “It further demonstrates that companies making products that can be readily shipped are a perfect fit for Shasta County's strategic location and labor force.”
The new site will initially have eight employees, with plans for expansion in the future, including a larger manufacturing facility. Comptech Marine is currently conducting interviews to fill positions in Redding.
“The local EDC has been a big help to us with the relocation process,” said Erb. “They helped us with a number of things, from finding a banker to working with the City of Redding. They suggested some things we hadn’t thought about, like working with the Private Industry Council, which is helping us with our personnel recruiting. We just put an ad in the paper, not realizing they could help us out on local recruitment.”
The Sky Ski has already built up quite a fan base. It will be featured during an episode on ESPN’s new I’d Do Anything show, with shooting scheduled for this month. Sky Ski has also just completed the second year of its pro tour, and will be featured during hydrofoiling segments in an upcoming sports movie called The Big Picture, according to Erb, who said he would ultimately like to see the Sky Ski featured in the X Games.
Riders of the Sky Ski have ranged in age from its youngest rider, Emma Honkala at only 2 years old, to its oldest rider, Mary Murphy, mother of legendary waterskiing innovator Mike Murphy, at an amazing 85 years old. Mary Murphy is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest hydrofoiler to ski from Long Beach Harbor to Catalina Island, and was recently featured on Ripley’s Believe It or Not for making the trip.
Located in the far northern or “Upstate” region of California, Shasta County’s metro areas lie astride the scenic Sacramento River and are strategically located equidistant from Los Angeles and Seattle. The cities of Shasta Lake, Redding, and Anderson are all located within the Redding Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Boasting a high quality of life, unmatched recreational opportunities, excellent schools, affordable housing, first-class healthcare, and a welcoming business environment, the county is growing as a center for business, industry, and distribution facilities. |
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| ANOTHER MAJOR INSURANCE COMPANY EXPANDS
TO REDDING, SHASTA COUNTY |
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State Compensation Insurance Fund of California announced recently that they would complete a major expansion in Redding, California. The expansion will include the construction of a new 75,000 square foot, $13 million office complex that will ad 100 jobs to the existing workforce of 180.
The eleven-acre site adjacent to Highway 44 in Redding will provide ample space for State Funds expansion needs as well as four retail pads that will be a part of the project. In support of State Funds expansion, the Redding Redevelopment Agency will be contributing approximately $400,000 in financial help to support the project development.
Construction of the new facility will begin in May 2006, with an expected completion date slated for January 2008. State Fund’s decision to expand the Redding office was largely due to the availability of a large productive workforce and the lower operating costs associated with the Redding area.
State Fund’s expansion is yet another major development for a large California Insurance Carrier in Redding. In 2004, Blue Shield of California completed the first phase of its projected multi phase campus project, an 80,000 square foot facility that employs 400.
Redding is the county seat for Shasta County and the largest city north of Sacramento located on Interstate 5. Redding is acknowledged as the preferred location for the Upstate Region of California and is center of trade and commerce for transportation, retail, commercial, industrial, government services, medical and recreation. |
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| CAPTIVE-AIRE ANNOUNCES NEW PRODUCTION PLANT IN REDDING |
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Redding, CA (May 25, 2006) -- Captive-Aire Systems, the nation’s largest manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation equipment, is pleased to announce a new production plant in Redding, California. At the 46,000 square-foot plant, Captive-Aire will produce a standard product line of commercial kitchen ventilation products, make-up air systems, and spun aluminum power roof ventilators. The Redding plant will open June 19.
“We are very pleased with the excellent reception from the City of Redding, Jim Zauher, and the Economic Development Corporation team,” said Captive-Aire president Robert Luddy. “Captive-Aire has also received valuable assistance from the Smart Business Resource Center in recruiting quality personnel for the plant.” Initially, the facility will be staffed with approximately 50 employees from Redding and the surrounding areas.
Captive-Aire already maintains a nationwide network of 55 sales and engineering offices and three other strategically located manufacturing plants in North Carolina, Iowa, and Oklahoma. “The new Redding plant will help Captive-Aire provide even faster service to our customers in the West,” explained Luddy. Captive-Aire is well-known for the fastest and most reliable lead times in the commercial kitchen ventilation industry.
John Sabol of Redding will serve as plant manager. Sabol holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Management. Sabol is highly experienced in production management.
North Carolina-based Captive-Aire began in a one-room facility in 1976. In 2005, Captive-Aire’s sales reached $155 million. Captive-Aire is continually voted “Best in Class” by industry dealers and consultants, according to Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine. |
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