ABB Bartlesville facility to add 265 jobs
BY LAURA SUMMERS World Correspondent
Friday, March 01, 2013
3/01/13 at 7:09 AM
Read more about manufacturers in the Tulsa area.Original Print Headline: ABB to add 265 jobs in Bartlesville
BARTLESVILLE - ABB is adding 265 jobs to its Bartlesville facility with the aid of local and state incentive dollars under a plan approved Thursday by city officials.
The Bartlesville Development Corp. has approved a proposal to expand by 100,000 square feet the ABB facility in the Bartlesville Industrial Park to meet growing demand for the company's natural gas measurement equipment.
Along with the $14 million facility upgrade, the Zurich, Switzerland-based company said it plans to add more than 250 engineering and manufacturing jobs with average salaries of $75,000 over the next decade. ABB currently employs about 195 people in Bartlesville.
"The strength of the oil and gas market - specifically unconventional drilling activity - has provided our business a great opportunity for growth in recent years," ABB-Bartlesville General Manager Gayle Lester said. "We have been successful in making the most of this opportunity and are very excited to be able to expand our local facility to meet the increasing demand from customers."
ABB, with about 140,000 workers across the globe, maintains offices in 100 countries.
The company's decision to expand its Bartlesville employee base received applause from state officials. The new positions are expected to qualify for Oklahoma Quality Job incentive funding, in which the state pays rebates on a portion of taxable payroll if the company maintains the added jobs over several years.
"My congratulations go out to ABB on their decision to expand operations, as well as the city of Bartlesville, which will be a great community for ABB employees to call home," Gov. Mary Fallin said in a statement.
"Oklahoma's high quality of life, low cost of living and pro-business atmosphere are quickly making it a national and even international destination for businesses. As a result, we have been able to attract the kind of high quality, good paying jobs offered by ABB, even in a very competitive economy," she said.
The Bartlesville Development Corp. in 2000 financed construction of a $5 million, 68,000-square-foot facility in the Bartlesville Industrial Park where ABB develops natural gas measuring devices. With the anticipated new jobs, ABB's Bartlesville workforce is expected to double over the next 10 years.
The project proposed this week would expand the original building for a third time. The Bartlesville City Council must approve the incentive plan.
Groundbreaking on the expansion is expected to take place in April.
"BDC has been working collaboratively with ABB on this for over a year," BDC president David Wood said.
"ABB continues to be a solid community partner, and we are delighted to see these new, high-wage jobs come to Bartlesville."
