Courtesy CRRC
CRRC, a Chinese company said to be the world’s largest railcar manufacturer, announced on Dec. 7 the corporation’s plan to expand their manufacturing footprint to the New York region with the execution of a tentative agreement to purchase a 32-acre parcel within the Fort Edward Industrial Park to assemble railcar vehicles.
The announcement comes as CRRC identifies manufacturing opportunities in North America where technological advances in railcar manufacturing can be shared with cities in need of modern, state-of-the-art transportation systems, the company said in a news release.
The property in the company’s sights is the one that was once home to the GE dewatering plant.
CRRC’s vision is to build a local presence in Fort Edward through the revitalization of railcar manufacturing, and work collaboratively with stakeholders to stimulate the local economy through business opportunities, education, and job creation, said company spokeswoman Lydia Rivera.
“We look forward to building our presence here in Fort Edward,” said CRRC MA Chairman and President Chuanhe Zhou in the news release. “We will continue discussions with state and local officials, organizations, and the community to ensure our engagement efforts meet the economic needs of the region.”
Fort Edward Town Supervisor Mitch Suprenant was still not making any official statements in early December about the future of the parcel. He did say that the former GE dewatering plant does have the interest of a “big manufacturer” and, if a deal goes through, it will be a big economic boon for a town that has seen more than its share of tough economic times.
But CRRC stated it is prepared to construct a 125,000-square-foot vehicle assembly plant. In addition, it will build approximately two miles of test track for static and dynamic train testing to expedite commissioning.
The assembly plant, including the test track, will support CRRC vehicle procurement contracts and stimulate local employment opportunities upward of 200 jobs.
The 32 acre-site, located east of the Hudson River between the villages of Fort Edward and Hudson Falls, is a prime location for redevelopment.
“Existing infrastructure, transportation access, and being well-placed near major cities in the Northeast, as well as, primary markets in Canada, make the Fort Edward site ideal for railcar manufacturing,” the company said.
According to ChinaDaily.com CRRC has been planning to augment both overseas production and R&D to increase overseas sales revenue substantially. The report said in 2015, CRRC’s overseas sales reached $3.86 billion, up 67 percent, and the company seeks to boost the figure to 35 percent by 2025.
In September of 2015, CRRC broke ground on a new plant in Springfield, Mass., to build a plant on the site of a long-vacant Westinghouse Electric facility. Officials said they were focused on Massachusetts but had their eye on nation-wide projects.
Media reports estimate CRRC’s occupancy of the 125,000 square-foot facility would mean an investment of approximately $60 million, creating about 150 construction jobs.
CRRC has been successful in winning contracts with the Chicago Transit Authority and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.