March 5, 2012
Gardner-Denver Machinery, Inc., announced today that the closure of IPGA operations at the company’s Quincy, Illinois facility means the addition of those operations at the Sedalia plant, located at 305 N. State Fair Blvd., with a completion date of May 15.
Engineering manager David Wolf thanked the Missouri Department of Economic Development (represented by Mike Downing and Tony Grandison) for incentive packages to help assist with the decision, as well as Sedalia Mayor Elaine Horn, Presiding Commissioner John Meehan, Linda Christle, executive director of EDSPC, and the well over 200 employees of Gardner-Denver’s Sedalia plant.
Longtime Gardner Denver employee Doug Ray accepted a congratulatory plaque from EDSPC President John Swearingen. Ray has worked at the Sedalia plant for almost 33 years, according to Wolf.
Mayor Horn congratulated the company on its expansion, and noted that engineering manager David Wolf had given her a tour of the facilities recently.
“I was very impressed with the quality products and all the different components that create this company. It is truly one of the sleeping giants in this community. We are very proud to have you here,” Horn told employees and G-D officials.
“We’re very excited to see you expanding and growing, and that all just goes back to the best asset they have, which is the employees of this company, so I say congratulations to all of you for what you do. Thank you for keeping Sedalia strong,” she concluded.
Presiding Commissioner Meehan stated that it was a great day for Pettis County because of the quality management at Gardner-Denver. “We’ve got a great team, a team that has shown leadership in every job that you do here at the plant. Thank you and congratulations to all of you,” he said.
Downing congratulated the company’s hard-working employees as well. “As a global manufacturer of compressors, blowers, fuel systems and pumps … Missouri is fortunate to be the home of a growing company, with global sales of $2 billion, at 40 manufacturing facilities in 36 countries … they’ve been doing this (locally) since 1979,” he said.
The expansion represents major economic investments. “And this will lead to further jobs in the community, because of the spinoff of companies just like this,” Downing stated.
He added that the company’s mission is aware of the need to be continuously innovative in a global market. He added that Missouri’s unemployment rate is currently at a three-year low at 7.5 percent, with 21,000 new jobs created in the Missouri in January.
“Now we say, we’re not just the Show-Me State, we are the Show-You State,” Downing quipped.
The Deputy Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development later told the News-Journal that the G-D announcement is just another chapter in Sedalia and Pettis County’s success.
“They’ve been very successful over many, many years, and there’s a reason for that. They’ve got a great organization, and the workforce here is very dedicated, very loyal, very hard-working, and there’s no secret, the businesses understand that. And that is a great advantage for this area,” Downing said.
Christle said she felt that this is an exciting moment, economically, for the area.
“This is something we’ve been working for years, since I came here, we’ve always talked about taking care of existing companies so we see the continued growth and expansion here. We’ve been working with Gardner-Denver for a few years now, and these last few months, it’s really revved up, so we’re hoping for continued growth,” she said.
Economic development at both the local and state level offered incentives to the company, Christle noted.
According to EDSPC’s website, Gardner-Denver’s Sedalia plant specializes in rotary-screw air compressors and blowers ranging from 7 1/2 horsepower to 500 horsepower. Initial employment in the first year reached 100, and currently there are approximately 220 employees in the Sedalia plant.
News Article and Photos by Randy Kirby, Managing editor – Sedalia News Journal.
