Canadian Manufacturer to Open First U.S. Site in Tuscaloosa, Adding 180 High-Paying Jobs
A new manufacturing operation will bring 180 high-skill, high-salary jobs to Tuscaloosa, area leaders announced Thursday afternoon.
The Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority met Thursday afternoon and, among other business, announced that Canada's Epsilon Industries will open its first site in the U.S. here in Tuscaloosa.
The Canadian company specializes in manufacturing the various massive prefabricated modules that are lifted onto and installed onto tall buildings.
Those units, which can include chiller plants and boiler plants, electrical systems, individualized pumping systems and more, will be built off-site at the Tuscaloosa plant, moved to the customer's location and delivered as turnkey projects, ready for immediate use.
Epsilon will move into an existing building at the Tuscaloosa County Airport Industrial Park and begin production as early as May of this year.
Ambassadors from the company were at the TCEDA board meeting Thursday to celebrate the announcement and talk more about why they came to Tuscaloosa.
Jennifer Culpepper, the company's HR Director, said the company was thrilled to open its first plant in the United States here in Tuscaloosa, where their space in the Airport Industrial Park will mean quick visits for VIP clients who want to see their modules as they are being made -- and maybe dip into Tuscaloosa to see what it has to offer.
“We are excited to be a part of the Tuscaloosa community,” said Chris Wiederick, president of Epsilon Industries. “We will be hosting many of our top clientele at our facility, and we feel that Tuscaloosa offers a convenient location with direct access to the airport, as well as a welcoming and entertaining environment.”
Wiederick added that the location provides access to a strong labor pool from Tuscaloosa and surrounding counties.
Culpepper said the company will immediately begin hiring and is planning a career fair in Northport next week -- stay tuned for more details on that event soon.
The company will need boilermakers, pipefitters, talented welders and other high-skill workers, and is expected to offer competitive pay to attract them.
“The City of Tuscaloosa is excited to be a part of the announcement of a new location for Epsilon Industries in our community,” said Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. “The addition of Epsilon Industries to Tuscaloosa’s thriving manufacturing ecosystem will provide new high paying jobs and opportunities for hundreds of our citizens. I look forward to the opportunity to work with TCEDA and other local partners to support Epsilon Industries as they grow and thrive in our community for years to come.”
For more exclusive stories on new economic and industrial development projects in the area, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.