SBE Inc (dba SB Electronics) has officially broken ground on its new high‐volume manufacturing facility in Barre Town. Event speakers included Governor Jim Douglas, Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie, Representative Peter Welch, the US Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Cathy Zoi and Susan “Sam” Matthews, Executive Vice President of the Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation.
Earlier in the year, SBE Inc won a matching grant of $9.1 million as the major piece of funding for an $18 million project under the US Department of Energy’s Electrical Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative, part of President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to expand its electric car technology manufacturing. SBE’s new manufacturing plant facility will be dedicated to the transportation market and will have capacity to produce Power Ring capacitors for over 100,000 plug-in hybrid and electric drive vehicles within 3 years.
The 52,800-square-foot building will be a modern, controlled environment, state of the art manufacturing facility. By strategically planning the production floor layout to mirror the production process, SBE can reduce both wasted time and materials, and maximize efficiency. Integrating private offices, work stations, conference rooms and a large lunch /training room, the 13,000-square-foot office space has been designed with one core value in mind: “creating an enjoyable workspace for employees.” SBE expects to begin moving into the new facility in December 2010.
SBE Inc is a leading developer and manufacturer of film capacitor solutions that provide a much higher degree of reliability, higher power density, and simpler cooling infrastructure, in demanding applications, particularly for automotive/transportation, alternative energy, utilities, power supplies/laser and military/aerospace. Originally a Sprague Electric Plant, SBE has been manufacturing capacitors for over 50 years producing over a billion capacitors, including the renowned Orange Drop®. The Company's headquarters, engineering and product development center, and manufacturing operation are located in Barre, Vermont. For more information on the company’s products, technologies and markets, visit its website at: www.sbelectronics.com.
Photos: Top. Ed Sawyer, president and CEO of SBE; Bob Lord Jr, contractor for the project (and investor in the project); Cathy Zoi, US Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Representative Peter Welch; Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie; Governor Jim Douglas. Bottom. Representative Peter Welsh, Ltd. Governor Brian Dubie, Win Hunter (SBE board member), Stan Fishkin (SBE board chairman), Cathy Zoi, Governor Jim Douglas, Mark Browning (SBE board member), Ed Sawyer, Dick Green (SBE board member) and Bob Lord.
Source: SBE Inc 4.20.2010
SBE Inc holds ceremonial groundbreaking in Barre Town
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