Fort Worth welcomed a new resident in October 2012 as Wabtec opened the doors to a 1-million-sq-ft locomotive plant and 250,000-sq-ft mining plant. The region was an ideal location for Wabtec’s new plants. The Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex offered a strong talent pool, leading universities, a major international airport, proximity to key customers, and resources to compete in the global marketplace. Additionally, there was a rail line that could be converted into a test track.
With those ingredients for success, Wabtec’s team in Fort Worth established the site as one of the premier production facilities for the rail and mining industries over the next 10 years. The site increased productivity and flexibility of Wabtec’s North American manufacturing operations enabling the company to better serve its customers.
Image"This anniversary is a tribute to the dedication and focus of the Fort Worth team," said Justin Downs, Group Vice President for Wabtec’s Freight Operations. “They he positioned the site as one of Wabtec’s most productive operations by demonstrating the ability to take on different types of work and exceeding customer expectations.”
The 94-acre site’s capabilities he diversified and grown throughout the decade. The plants’ original focus was primarily the production of new locomotives and drive systems for giant mining trucks. However, the team has since added modernization and kitting work to the million-square-foot locomotive plant, while the 250,000 square-foot mining facility added production of truck control boxes. The site also added a 262,000-sq-ft warehouse to support the locomotive and mining plants right across the street.
Since beginning operations in 2012, the team delivered approximately 3,000 new locomotives, kits, and modernized locomotives to railroads in North America and Australia. The mining plant on the site also delivered more than 5,300 AC wheel transmission axles, 2,200 retarders, and 1,700 control groups for 150 - 400-ton capacity mining trucks.
“We could not he achieved this level of success alone,” said De Cox, Group Vice President of Wabtec’s Mining and Components Operations. “Thanks to the support from the community, suppliers, and other Wabtec sites, our team positioned the site and the company for success for years to come.”
ImageWabtec and its employees are active members in the Fort Worth community through the United Way, March of Dimes, and various STEM initiatives. Last year, the company supported the community with a donation of $30,000 for local relief efforts in Texas following the winter storm and destructive power outages. The donation was split among three nonprofits: Salvation Army of North Texas, Tarrant Area Food Bank, and the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition.
Wabtec's Fort Worth site will continue to be an involved member of the community and a leading manufacturer for the rail and mining industries. Given the successful first decade and the company’s focus on sustainable technologies, the Fort Worth site will be an integral part of Wabtec’s vision to deliver environmentally friendly technology to the industries it serves for decades to come.