SWEP to open Tulsa manufacturing site, hire 75
BY KYLE ARNOLD World Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
1/29/13 at 7:14 AM
Swedish manufacturer SWEP will open a heat exchanger plant in Tulsa that could hire as many as 75 people by 2015, the company announced Monday.
The first 25 employees will begin work this spring, a spokesman for the company said, and SWEP plans to add 30 to 50 more people by the time the shop is at full employment within two years.
"We're delighted to begin operations in Tulsa," said Hakan Nilsson, SWEP's president, in a statement. "Tulsa's ideal location will facilitate the ease of delivery to our customers."
SWEP makes brazed plate heat exchangers, used in a variety of industries. The company's North American headquarters is near Atlanta, but the Tulsa facility will be the center of manufacturing operations for the region, said SWEP spokesman Jared Lovelle.
Tulsa has become a hub for heat exchanger manufacturing, with companies such as Harsco Corp. and SPX Heat Transfer located in the metro area, partially due to a concentration of energy equipment-making.
Heat exchangers transfer heat or cold between different gasses or liquids when the separate elements cannot mix.
SWEP's products are used on heating and cooling equipment, refrigeration and other industrial applications, Lovelle said.
SWEP's plant will in two suites on a property at 12122 E. 55th St. The facility has about 45,000 square feet of space.
Hiring should start in a few weeks, and nearly all the positions will be for manufacturing jobs, Lovelle said.
"Tulsa has a strong manufacturing and transportation base, low energy rates, a competitive workforce and also offered an attractive incentive package," Nillson said in his statement.
Lovelle said SWEP is applying for incentives under the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program, which gives a payroll tax rebate of up to a 5 percent to manufacturers that create jobs that meet certain criteria.
Oklahoma Department of Commerce spokesman Don Heckler said SWEP does not have a contract with the agency yet but would be eligible to apply to the program.
Mayor Dewey Bartlett and Tulsa Regional Chamber President Mike Neal both applauded SWEP's decision to place the facility in Tulsa.
Original Print Headline: Swedish firm to open manufacturing site
Kyle Arnold 918-581-8380
kyle.arnold@tulsaworld.com
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