Electric motor plant expansion to add 55 jobs in Searcy

An expanded electric motor production plant in Searcy is expected to result in 55 new jobs for the northeast Arkansas city.

South Korea-based SN Tech Inc. and Dover, N.H.-based ElectroCraft formed a partnership to build a “green” electric motor at the Searcy plant. The move is expected to boost employment from 70 to 125, according to a statement from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

The initial products to be produced at ElectroCraft will be ¼- to one-horsepower motors for the residential market which will be available this fall. The company plans to roll out two- to five-horsepower motors for the commercial market in late 2011 or early 2012.

The motor technology was developed by SN Tech in South Korea, and the company plans to build all the new motors for the U.S. market in Searcy.

“The combination of SN Tech’s patented motor technology and ElectroCraft’s 40-plus years of motor manufacturing experience will yield the most efficient EC motor ever produced on U.S. soil,” Bard said. “In addition, the partnership represents the only domestically manufactured EC motor on the market.”
 
James Elsner, president of ElectroCraft Inc., credited Searcy plant manager Doug Cook “for having the foresight and diligence in developing this close relationship with SN Tech. Both ElectroCraft and SN Tech spent many months working to arrive at this important milestone.”
 
According to the AEDC statement, more than 800 million electric motors are used in the U.S. each year, and 60% of all electricity generated in the United States is used by these electric motors. However, less than 10% of electric motors installed in residential heating and air conditioning systems (HVACR) are energy efficient. SN Tech and ElectroCraft estimate that more than 62 million residential HVAC motors are 8 years or older and will soon need to be replaced.

Fort Smith-based Baldor Electric Co. is another company expecting gains from improved sales of energy-efficient motors. The company reported that sales of its super-efficient motors were up 25% in the third quarter compared to a 12% increase for all electric motors.

“Some of this growth is due to early adoption of high efficiency motor standards included in the upcoming Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA),” the company noted in the statement.

In addition to its headquarters in Phoenix, SN Tech also has a facility in Seoul, South Korea. For more than 60 years, ElectroCraft has operated manufacturing facilities in the United States. In addition to the Searcy facility, ElectroCraft has eight U.S. plants.