The global railway wheel specialist is the perfect fit for Steuben County
Good news softens the blow of Gunlocke’s closure and job losses
By Andrew Harris
News from the Governor’s office today brought some very good news to Steuben County and the Wayland community. GHH-BONTRANS North America announced a the companies first manufacturing facility will be established at the Wayland Business Park. From the Governor:
“This investment by GHH-BONATRANS shows that when we support shovel-ready sites, strengthen our infrastructure and make strategic investments in our communities, we can attract world-class manufactures, create good jobs and grow the economy in every corner of our state.”
The new operation comes with strong support from the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency who will invest in electrical service to the business park. The IDA will extend a 34.5kV electrical line six miles from the Meyer substation to the 152-acre business park, enabling immediate access to 6 MW of power and up to 21 MW following future grid upgrades. IDA Director James Johnson obviously considers it a good investment of taxpayer funds:
“GHH-BONATRANS’ decision to establish its first U.S. headquarters here speaks volumes about the competitiveness of our community, and we look forward to supporting the company as it grows and creates high-quality jobs for our residents,” said Johnson.
The new operation is expected to create 85 full time jobs, coming just time as Wayland’s generational employer Gunlocke announced they would permanently close last year. Wayland Town Supervisor John V. Malter said:
“The Town of Wayland is very excited about the news of a new manufacturing plant being built here. With the announcement of the closing of the Gunlocke Company Plant in Wayland, the anticipation of new jobs being available is indeed great news. I want to personally thank the Governor for her support on this project along with John Edmonds for establishing the Industrial site in Wayland. A special thank you to James Johnson and his staff from the County IDA for all their hard work on the grant application to bring more electricity to the site to make this project possible and their work in securing the company to build here.”
Steuben County Legislature Chairperson Kelly H. Fitzpatrick was thrilled with the good news:
“The Bonatrans North America project is indeed a win-win for Steuben County, the Southern Tier and all of New York State.
For more information on BONTRANS, visit https://www.bonatrans.cz/en/
