Projo Biz Blog

Countering the recent trend of manufacturing job losses in Rhode Island, a Massachusetts company is expanding into East Providence, where it is hiring to staff a factory that opened in February.

The company, privately held Aspen Aerogels, now has about 100 employees between its headquarters in Northboro, Mass., and the East Providence facility on Dexter Road near the Henderson Bridge, according to John F. Fairbanks, the company’s chief financial officer. Roughly 20 percent of those jobs are in Rhode Island, he said in an interview today.

“We anticipate that we’ll become a significant employer. As we grow, we’ll grow into Rhode Island,” said Fairbanks. “These are good manufacturing jobs. They’re a highly skilled workforce.”

Fairbanks said that a strong local labor force, as well as a good deal on an existing industrial building, lured Aspen across the state line.

The company, which formed in 2001, makes a high-tech insulating material based on silica, the main component of sand. The insulation is produced in a blanket form and is primarily used in industrial applications, especially in the oil industry as an insulator for pipelines. But its use is expanding to include applications in diverse industries, such as construction and footwear.

Aspen's production process gives off fewer carbon gases and is not affected by the fluctuation of petroleum prices. In fact, Fairbanks said, higher oil prices make the company’s product more attractive, though, he added, “We’re economic at oil prices of $40 or $50.”

The company exports its products to Europe, Asia and North and South America, he said. He declined to disclose the company’s annual revenues.

Aspen moved into a former gypsum plant, which required little renovation beyond the construction of a tank farm and installation of equipment. The company uses about half of the 150,000-square-foot building, including its finishing and shipping operations. About a third of the total space is devoted to manufacturing, and the company hopes eventually to triple its manufacturing operations there, Fairbanks said.

Headquarters, research and development and some manufacturing will stay in the Bay State.

The East Providence plant operates half a day, but Fairbanks said the company hopes to expand the work to 24 hours a day.

Comments

Insulation Manufacturer said:

This Article is Helpful for Insulation Process

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Thanks
Shree Ram Rockwool

Link | November 5, 2009 2:53 AM
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