WEG Transformers breaks ground on third facility in Washington, MO
Credits Ameren Missouri's Smart Energy Plan for expansion
"When local businesses thrive, so do the communities in which they are located," said Patrick Smith vice president, community and economic development, Ameren Missouri. "And in the case of WEG Transformers and the equipment and technology they manufacture that impact stretches throughout the entire region – creating jobs and boosting the economy."
Smith was one of several business and community leaders who supported the groundbreaking for the WEG Transformers expansion on March 29 in Washington, MO.
"This $10 million expansion will create 40-50 new jobs at our facility in Washington," said Phillip James, general manager, WEG Transformers USA. "This expansion is in addition to the $40 million investment WEG has made at the facility since early 2017. Part of the reason for this expansion is Ameren Missouri's Smart Energy Plan and the growth we are seeing throughout the state of Missouri."
"We celebrate what this expansion means for the Washington community and surrounding area – more good-paying jobs and economic growth that reaches well beyond this site we're at today," said Smith.
The Missouri General Assembly passed forward-thinking energy policy legislation in 2018 that enabled Ameren Missouri’s Smart Energy Plan. In the first three years of implementation, Ameren Missouri has completed more than 2,000 projects across its service territory. Many of these projects have utilized the large, high-voltage transformers manufactured by WEG Transformers. These substation transformers are made in Missouri, by Missourians, for Ameren Missouri customers.
"This expansion at WEG is part of the vision we had when we opened the plant in July 2010," said Marc Schillebeeckx, vice president, WEG Transformers USA. "A part of the promise for growth was to make WEG one of the biggest transformer manufacturers in the United States. This expansion will allow us to make 200 large power transformers per year."