Conway-based manufacturer to expand, add up to 75 jobs

Conway-based SFI Arkansas announced Thursday (Dec. 12) plans to expand their facility and hire up to 75 new employees over the next 18 months. The new jobs would add to the about 70 employees now working at the manufacturing operation.

SFI Arkansas is engaged in medium gauge steel fabrication. The company specializes in laser cutting, punching, bending, roll forming, welding, and powder coat painting. Its Arkansas plant has customers nationwide in the agricultural, consumer, construction, transportation and defense industries. The company also has a plant in Memphis.

“Our reinvestment into our Conway facility is very intentional,” Jim McGill, vice president and business unit manager, SFI Arkansas, said in a statement “Our employees work hard every day to assure we stay globally competitive. They deserve to have the best tools and technology to maintain that competitiveness.”

McGill said the expansion is the result of continued manufacturing growth in the south as well as the increased presence of steel manufacturing in Arkansas.

“We are happy to support the expansion of the SFI plant in Conway and the additional jobs it will create,” said Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. “This is a testament to how a skilled advanced manufacturing workforce influences decision-makers when it comes to locating, moving or expanding. SFI employees and their families, their clients and Arkansas as a whole will benefit from this smart business decision for years to come.”

McGill said the new investments and positions would represent a move toward increased mechanical aptitude and problem-solving skills. The average wages for new positions could approach $25 per hour. Hiring would begin in early 2020.

“It’s cliché to say our employees are the key to our success,” said McGill. “But it’s true. The folks who work at SFI and other small businesses in Conway, Faulkner County, and beyond are the backbone of our state.”