Volvo Construction Equipment recently expanded its Shippensburg manufacturing plant, and the company is calling back employees to work there.
When Volvo bought a division of Ingersoll Rand in 2007, the 300,000-square foot Ingersoll Rand facility in Shippensburg came with the deal. And in 2008, Volvo shut down its factory in Goderich, Ontario, moving most of its operations to Shippensburg. Volvo then began a $30 million project to add 200,000 square feet to the Pennsylvania facility, which was built in 1974.
The Shippensburg facility makes equipment like asphalt rollers, graders and milling machines for North American customers. It employed about 830 workers in October 2008, before Volvo cut a quarter of its employees around the world. But demand for road construction equipment is rising again, company spokeswoman Beatrice Cardon said. Laid-off workers are being asked to return, and now about 650 people work at the Shippensburg plant.
“We hope to build up our employee base because the orders are coming back,” Cardon said.
The facility has also received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The plant’s features include skylights, low-flow plumbing fixtures, recycled building materials, and outdoor plants that don’t need to be watered.
Source: Beatrice Cardon, Volvo Construction Equipment
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen
