Sandy pushing Generac to add 100 jobs, start production in Jefferson
Excerpted from The Business Journal
By Jeff Engel
Superstorm Sandy’s projected impact on generator sales will push Generac Holdings Inc. to hire about 100 production workers and to start manufacturing operations in a Jefferson facility that it initially intended to use for warehousing and distribution, The Business Journal has learned.
Sandy’s impact on the short-term demand for Generac’s portable generators and the expected long-term demand for its home standby generators was a tipping point in the decision for how to use the 252,500-square-foot Jefferson facility, president and chief executive officer Aaron Jagdfeld told The Business Journal on Wednesday. Generac (NYSE: GNRC) is a Genesee-based generator and engine-powered products manufacturer.
Generac expects manufacturing at the Jefferson building to begin by Jan. 1. The Jefferson facility will be used for manufacturing, warehouse and distribution, Jagdfeld said. The company will move some production lines from its Whitewater plant to Jefferson and expand capacity in Whitewater.
Some employees might move from Whitewater to Jefferson, and Generac might then add more employees in Whitewater, Jagdfeld said. Overall, he said the company looks to add between 100 and 200 new employees total at both facilities over the next year.
Generac now employs 2,250 and has manufacturing operations in Genesee, Eagle, Whitewater and Berlin.
