Cummins Inc. recently announced that it is expanding its High-Horsepower Technical Center and high-horsepower engine product line at its manufacturing facility in Seymour, Ind. The company says expansion of the center will provide more opportunities for producing high-horsepower clean-diesel and natural gas engines in the future.
Mark Levett, Cummins vice president and High-Horsepower Business general manager, says the company plans to invest about $100 million in the expansion at the Seymour plant, which is expected to result in about 200 engineering and manufacturing jobs over the next five years. The plant currently employs nearly 450 people.
The company also is changing the facility’s name to the Seymour Engine Plant, from the Cummins Industrial Center, consistent with Cummins’ practice at many of its major engine manufacturing locations elsewhere.
“Our high-horsepower business continues to grow in importance,” says Tom Linebarger, president and chief operating officer. “This facility and product line expansion will allow us to maintain our technology leadership and strong product portfolio. Cummins will continue to provide leadership as our customers face ever more challenging worldwide emissions regulations.”
A new larger-displacement engine will complement Cummins’ current high-horsepower lineup, which powers applications in mining, power generation, marine, oil and gas and rail markets around the world. The product investment will increase the plant’s capacity and manufacturing capability, including a new assembly line, paint area and production test cells.
The Seymour Engine Plant opened in 1976 and currently is devoted to manufacturing V903, K19, QSK19 and QST30 diesel and natural gas engines. The technical center expansion will almost double the current engineering footprint in the facility and increase Cummins high-horsepower mechanical development capability. Other capital expenditures will include additional equipment, test cells and other facility upgrades.
Preparations for the technical center expansion are scheduled to start immediately, and construction is expected to be complete by mid-2011. “This is an exciting expansion and announcement,” said Levett. “We are now ready to strengthen our position as an industry leader by taking this technology to larger high-speed diesel and natural gas engines.”
