Captive-Aire

Local company Captive-Aire’s western plant reaches production high

These are booming and ambitious times at Captive-Aire in Redding, the North Carolina company’s only manufacturing plant west of the Rocky Mountains.

Since taking over as plant manager last September, Csaba (pronounced CHA-ba) Sikur has increased his work force and dramatically boosted production.

Sikur, a 33-year-old Slovakian native, attributes much of Captive-Aire’s growth to his 77 employees. When he took over, there were about 35 employees inside the plant, which had housed Redding French Bakery before it consolidated its operations to San Luis Obispo and closed in January 2006.

“We are just trying to make a good American product,” said Sikur, who was a quality control engineer at Captive-Aire before he took over.

Captive-Aire is the nation’s largest manufacturers 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.

Robert Luddy, Captive-Aire’s president and founder, said he chose Redding for its strategic location. Luddy also has plants in Youngsville, N.C., Muskogee, Okla., and West Union, Iowa, and 55 sales offices.

Hoods and fans from Redding are shipped across the western United States, and into Canada and Mexico. Most of the hoods, ducts and exhaust systems made here are used in commercial and government kitchens.

Captive-Aire was making about five kitchen hoods and 12 exhaust fans a day when Sikur became plant manager. Today, the 45,000-square-foot plant on Lockheed Drive makes 27 hoods a day and between 45 and 50 exhaust fans.

Sikur plans to add a second hood manufacturing line and new duct-making line by year’s end. The expansion should add about 15 employees.

“You can’t be scared of the future. You need to plan ahead,” Sikur said.“

Captive-Aire’s customers include Wal-Mart, Costco, Chinese fast-food chain Panda Express, Red Robin, and Mexican restaurant chain Chipotle.

Because Captive-Aire caters to commercial kitchens, Sikur says the company hasn’t been affected by the nation’s housing slowdown.

What’s more, the large-scale kitchen systems made by Captive-Aire are cumbersome to ship so importing them from China, at this time at least, doesn’t make economic sense, Sikur said.

The Redding plant employs office personnel, engineers, heavy equipment operators and warehouse personnel.

Production-line employees will start at $9 an hour with no skills and $10 an hour with experience. Employees undergo a three-month trial period and receive a raise once they pass probation, Sikur said.

In July, each employee got a $350 bonus check, Sikur said.

“I tell them if you guys make more money, I make more money,” Sikur said.