Company invests $30M in Muskogee plant expansion
A North Carolina company has invested $30 million to expand a plant it operates in Muskogee and plans eventually to hire 30-40 additional workers there.
The company, CaptiveAire, manufactures commercial kitchen ventilation systems but has plans to begin manufacturing commercial HVAC equipment as well. Founded nearly a half-century ago, it has six manufacturing facilities across the United States in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Iowa, California and Florida, as well as two research and development facilities in Pennsylvania and Utah. It also maintains a network of more than 100 sales offices throughout the U.S. and in Canada.
The company has had a roughly 250,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Muskogee since 1997 and typically has employed 220 people there, it said in a news release.
A new CaptiveAire building will be located adjacent to its existing plant and will provide an additional 130,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space. The new building will be dedicated to the company’s HVAC product lines.
“We are thrilled to expand our Muskogee manufacturing facility,” CaptiveAire President Bob Luddy said. “This growth will allow us to serve the needs of our customers in the south-central region with shorter lead times and faster replacement timelines.”
The $30 million investment also will include new equipment acquisition.
CaptiveAire’s integrated kitchen ventilation packages include exhaust hoods; exhaust fans; electrical controls; direct-fired heaters; supply and exhaust duct systems; fire suppression systems; grease filters; high-volume low-speed fans; and utility distribution systems.
Its most recent addition to its product line is a dedicated outdoor air system, a highly efficient and technologically advanced commercial HVAC unit, the company said in the release.
Luddy said the company anticipates a continuing strong relationship with Muskogee and Oklahoma.
“We have long appreciated the warm welcome of the Muskogee community and we look forward to continuing to serve its residents and provide employment opportunities,” he said.