New manufacturing jobs continue to roll off the assembly line in Conway, with SFI of Arkansas announcing Thursday that it will add up to 75 workers over the next 18 months.
The 250,000-square-foot Conway plant now has 70 workers who develop heavy-gauge components for original equipment manufacturers in the agricultural, construction, industrial, transportation and defense industries. SFI recently gained a new customer and won more business from an existing customer, said Jim McGill, vice president and business unit manager in Conway.
Average wages for new positions could be up to $25 per hour, the company said.
New workers will be added beginning in the first quarter of next year, and the company will invest up to $4 million to expand the facility and install new equipment. "Our major new production efforts will start in the third and fourth quarters of 2020," McGill said.
"Part of the reason for the expansion is the work we already do there is suited for these customers and we have the equipment in place and part of it is because of the workforce we have in Conway," McGill said. "I take a lot of pride in the workforce, and we have people with a strong work ethic."
Conway has become a hot spot for manufacturing expansions.
On Monday, Structurlam Mass Timber Corp. of Canada announced that it would build its first U.S.-based timber manufacturing plant in Conway, creating 130 jobs and a $90 million investment in the city by mid-2021.
"This has been a historic and busy quarter for the local economy," said Jaime Gates, vice president of the Conway Development Corp. The city has a diverse manufacturing base and draws employees from across central Arkansas, he said.
"We're way past these being just Conway companies and Conway jobs," Gates said. "These are really central Arkansas stories, and it's good for the entire area. We're grateful when the stars line up and we can make announcements like this."
McGill commended community and state economic development officials for working to support the expansion of existing businesses, paying attention to their needs while working to lure new operations.
"I am very pleased with the state and the city of Conway," he added. "It's refreshing to see communities not only chase new business or new industries but take care of the people who have been there a long time. Conway has done a really nice job of taking care of established businesses."
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission is providing SFI with a cash rebate based on the jobs it creates and with sales tax refunds for the purchase of building materials and equipment. The incentives are granted for three years.
"This is a testament to how a skilled advanced manufacturing workforce influences decision-makers when it comes to locating, moving or expanding," Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston said in a prepared statement. "SFI employees and their families, their clients and Arkansas as a whole will benefit from this smart business decision for years to come."
SFI's Conway plant is at 670 Equity Ave.
Business on 12/13/2019