A leading manufacturer and distributor of premium trailers has selected a site in the DeLand area for its latest expansion initiative. Alcom LLC, based in Winslow, Maine and with plants in South Dakota and Montana, is making a move into Florida with hopes of being operational this spring.
“Florida is the second biggest market for trailers, behind Texas,” said company president Trapper Clark. “We have had plans to establish a Florida presence for several years. Now, along with our private equity partner we are following up on our expansion plans. Our new plant will allow us to provide top-of-the-line aluminum trailers to our dealer network faster and more cost effectively.”
Clark is sold on Volusia County and is eager to build a workforce for the DeLand plant, which could approach 100 workers in its first year of operation. Overall, the company employs about 600 people. CareerSource is helping build the local workforce and Clark says his Human Resources Director is in the throes of hiring a plant manager, production manager, logistics manager and purchasing agent. The company is also hiring welders. “We are excited to work with Alcom in its recruiting and hiring; we have posted their job openings and they participate in our virtual job fair,” said Robin King, CareerSource President and CEO.
Local officials also welcome Alcom and support its efforts to begin operations this spring. “We are especially pleased to welcome Alcom to Volusia County,” said Team Volusia Chair Jordan Jiloty. “Not only is it a growing company, but it is widely recognized as a leading manufacturer in its industry.”
Volusia County Manager George Recktenwald concurs. “Companies that are leaders in their field – such as Alcom – fit right in with our manufacturing community, which includes many innovators who set a high standard for best-practices.”
The move also has drawn support from Tallahassee.
“Florida welcomes manufacturers like Alcom that value our skilled workforce,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “By delivering 150 new jobs over the next three years along with a $4 million capital investment, Alcom will have a major impact in Volusia County.”
“We appreciate Alcom’s decision to grow in Florida,” said Florida Secretary of Commerce Jamal Sowell, president and CEO of Enterprise Florida. “We celebrate this American manufacturer and the trailers that will soon be named among the quality products made in Florida.”
Alcom’s investment in the DeLand expansion is estimated to be $3 million for building improvements, capital investment and inventory. The company has leased a 136,000 square foot building on West New York Avenue; a seven-year lease with options beyond that. Overall, the company projects revenues of $140 million this year.
“Everything is moving along. We’ve done this before and we’re pretty good at it, so we are optimistic about commencing operations” said Clark. “The folks at Duke Energy are helping us with plans to power the plant properly, a major factor in beginning production. We anticipate assistance from County officials in navigating the permitting process to keep everything on track so we can put people to work and begin moving product throughout our dealer network.”
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