By Kate Bartlett
Cummins Inc. Jamestown Engine Plant is committed to excellence in it’s products and invested in economic growth in the Jamestown area. Their Jamestown Engine Plant (JEP) is one of the leading production plants for heavy duty engines, and will soon expand to increase capacity by nearly 50% over the next 2 years.
The JEP in Lakewood currently produces over 1/3 of the heavy-duty engines in all of North America in it’s 1 million square foot facility. That means one out of three semi-trucks that you pass on the highway are powered by engines made here in this facility. They are the leading production plant for various heavy-duty engines that are all built-to-order. Not only do they produce 500 engines daily, but they also machine many major components of the engines here in this facility. Approximately 80 tractor trailers worth of goods are in and out of the plant daily, 40 of which contain finished goods. Approximately 125,000 engines will have been produced here in 2023 alone.
200 more employees once the expansion is complete. JEP continues to be the
largest private employer in Chautauqua County and the southern tier of NY.
Cummins has already invested about 100 million dollars into the almost ½ billion dollar expansion project, which is projected to take 2 more years to complete. The plant will undergo major updates, changeovers and retooling to eventually produce a new variety of engine. The updates will increase the plant’s capacity to produce 700-750 engines per day.
The plant currently employs 1500 people, and have plans to hire approximately 200 more employees once the expansion is complete. JEP continues to be the largest private employer in Chautauqua County and the southern tier of New York. “Cummins is invested in the economic growth of this area, “says Shawn Hricko, Cummins Jamestown Plant, Plant Manager. “The Cummins engine is doing remarkably well on the market, and the best heavy-duty engine is produced right here at the Jamestown Engine Plant.”
Cummins is well-known for their ability to custom build engines to customer specifications, with over 6,000 possible variations. “As Cummins continues towards its Destination Zero Strategy and its plan to achieve zero emissions, we are innovating at every level to find new ways of working and modernizing technology. Cummins next generation fuel agnostic platform, which will be produced at JEP, is designed to accelerate the decarbonization of heavy-duty applications and help lead to a more sustainable future,” says Shawn.
Not only do they strive for excellence in customization, but their projected completion time is merely 2 weeks. “We believe that Cummins is the best engine out there, and we aim for quality and customer satisfaction,” says Shawn.
Cummins prides themselves on their sustainability and use of renewable energy. The JEP is powered partially by solar cells, and utilizes a reverse osmosis water system to process water. “We pride ourselves on being a zero-landfill facility. We try to minimize product-waste, and what we can’t recycle or reuse is converted into energy.”
The Jamestown Plant celebrated the production of it’s 2.5 millionth engine this past year, and will be celebrating it’s 50th anniversary of operation in July. “We opened our doors in 1974, and we’re proud to still be serving the community here today.”
For more information, visit https://www.cummins.com/