Automotive plant announcement brings out early bird applicants
STLtoday.com
August 2, 2011
By Scott Bandle
Facts on T-100
- Reduces tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions by 85 percent
- Lower operating costs than standard light-commercial vehicles
- Range of 475 miles
When Cory Paschen heard of Emerald Automotive's plans to build a manufacturing plant in Hazelwood, he got on the telephone and made a call Monday to the Hazelwood City Hall.
"I wanted to see if I could get my application in as soon as possible," said Paschen, 35. "I worked at the Ford Plant before I was transferred to Chicago. It would be great to move back to St. Louis and be near our families."
He, his wife and three children live in Ozark, Mo., close to Springfield, where he works for a construction contractor. He was laid off by Ford Motor in Chicago in 2006 and chose the four-year education severance package. Paschen graduated from Missouri State University with a degree in construction management.
"It's great to see manufacturing come back to Hazelwood," he said. "I was upset when they closed the Ford plant (in 2006). I had some good times there."
Paschen wasn't the only one who made some early inquiries. In the Hazelwood City Hall lobby, two men handed resumes to Hazelwood Communications Director Tim Davidson. This happened on Thursday, the day after Emerald Automotive met with the Hazelwood City Council and made the public announcement.
"I was pretty surprised," Davidson said. "It's at least a year before there's any hiring. We've been inundated with calls from people, asking about the hiring process."
Davidson said he has received six resumes and the city has received about 50 telephone calls.
Florissant resident Jeremy Stroup, 26, was one of the men who handed Davidson a resume.
"(Davidson) was shocked when I gave him my resume," Stroup said. "I always try to get out there bright and early when there's a job opportunity."
He has not worked at an auto plant, but is looking for full-time employment. Stroup, who is married with two children, works part-time at a supermarket.
"I figure this will be a good job," he said. "The economy is tough and I'm looking for something that will be around for a while."
Emerald Automotive, a three-year-old, British-owned company, plans to manufacture a new electric-hybrid commercial van called the T-100. The van runs on battery power that is recharged by a diesel or gas engine. With a range of 475 miles, it also will reduce carbon emissions by 85 percent.
The company projects that the T-100 eventually will provide 581 jobs at the plant. Another 410 jobs will come from parts suppliers in Missouri. Hazelwood was chosen for its central location and its abundance of trained auto workers.
The manufacturer has had "positive talks" with the United Auto Workers union.
"The UAW has been very supportive and proactive," Emerald CEO Andy Tempest said. "We have no problems working with the union."
A spokesperson at the UAW Region 5 headquarters gave this statement: "We feel this is good news for our laid-off membership and it is good news for our community. We look forward to sitting down with the new company in efforts to bargain for jobs for those laid-off workers."
Emerald Automotive hopes to be up and running by 2014. Its goal is to annually build 10,000 T-100s by 2015. Its initial market will be in England and Europe where emission-control standards are high.
The company plans to expand into the U.S., but realizes it will take longer for the hybrid vans to catch on. However, company officials believe there will be a growing market for the vans. Emerald's public announcement came July 27 at a special meeting of the Hazelwood City Council.
"This is good news for Hazelwood and all of St. Louis," Mayor Matthew Robinson said. "It's great that car manufacturing is coming back, especially after the closing of the Ford Plant."
The city council unanimously passed a measure to partner with the Missouri Technology Corporation, a state agency that provides funding to start-up projects in Missouri.
The two groups will provide $5 million in loans to Emerald Automotive for the project's start-up costs. Hazelwood will give $3 million out of its Economic Development Sales Tax while MTC will loan $2 million.
Tempest declined to give a price for the T-100, but said its low fuel usage will provide savings in the long run.
