Foam manufacturer to add 100 new jobs in Fort Smith
by October 25, 2016 12:05 pm 192 views
Elite Comfort Solutions (ECS), a newly formed platform company of Arsenal Capital Partners, will expand in Fort Smith adding 100 new jobs.
The company is a “carve-out” acquisition of Hickory Springs Manufacturing located on State Line Road. ECS will focus on foam manufacturing for the bedding, furniture and home furnishing markets.
“The Fort Smith facility is a critical piece to the overall manufacturing and distribution model of the company’s market expansion strategy,” said Rick Ralston, vice president of operations for ECS-East.
“ECS is leveraging existing underutilized assets as well as investing in new equipment and technology to promote enhanced performance products in certain bedding, furniture and e-commerce served markets,” he added.
“Elite’s decision to expand its manufacturing operation in Fort Smith is great news for our entire region,” said Tim Allen, president of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s not only a testament to our quality workforce, but it also validates the importance of logistics to our manufacturers. Logistics is a key component for manufacturing companies and Fort Smith has it. Fort Smith’s location in the middle of the U.S. allows companies to ship to anywhere in the world by air, rail, river or highway in an efficient manner,” Allen said.
The jobs will certainly help the manufacturing sector in the Fort Smith metro. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers show an estimated 18,000 manufacturing jobs in the region during September, up from 17,700 in September 2015, but well below the 19,200 five years ago in September 2011 and well below the peak of 31,200 in June 1999.