SIDNEY — 2018 was a year of change and growth for Emerson. Most notably, the company completed the first phase of its $100 million four-year Sidney renovation and expansion project.
The new lobby and office space visible from Intersate 75 is a key part of the work, which also included a new visitor gate on Campbell Road, a new east side entrance, and significant infrastructure work on the new engineering laboratory inside the existing structure. With safety and technology in mind, these investments are to the benefit of Emerson’s operations, people and customers.
Intended to create an environment to attract tomorrow’s engineers, scientists and industry leaders, the renovated facility will facilitate cross-functional collaboration and provide an efficient, modern workplace. Future phases of the project will focus on converting existing space to new and expanded engineering laboratories, providing cutting-edge surroundings to conduct advanced performance and refrigerants testing with compressors, controls, electronics and related products.
Since 1937, Sidney has been the home of Emerson’s world-renowned Copeland™ compressors for air conditioning and refrigeration, and the Sidney location today serves as the company’s headquarters in the Americas for compressor technology and manufacturing.
The renovated facility will enable engineers to conduct research, development and testing to create future innovations for compressors and associated controls. The facility will also continue manufacturing Copeland Scroll compressors and custom systems, which are found inside air conditioning systems for homes and commercial buildings, and in refrigeration systems at retailers, restaurants and other institutions worldwide. Globally, Emerson has produced more than 150 million Copeland Scroll compressors and invested $1.5 billion to date in development of the technology.
“Starting with our Copeland brand, our history in Sidney stretches back eight decades, with 1,700 employees at the Sidney location who call this region home,” said Brent Schroeder, Sidney facility site leader and group president of heating and air conditioning for Emerson’s Commercial and Residential Solutions business. “These facility improvements will enable us to develop next-level technology and solutions to meet our customers’ future needs.”
Construction of Emerson’s Sidney facility, which is slated to be fully completed by 2021, is being driven by local company leadership and employee committees. In keeping with Emerson’s goal to attract and retain a strong workforce, Sidney employees at all levels have played a role in shaping decisions on building design, function of work and meeting spaces, interior design and amenities like the updated fitness center.
Building business success
Emerson’s Sidney operations leadership reports solid performance in 2018, with a continued focus on quality and on-time delivery in 2019.
The positive updates to the Sidney facility include relocation of Plant 2 within the property, which will provide new opportunities for innovations on industry trends, especially as the new labs are completed.
Emerson produces over 300,000 commercial air conditioning and commercial refrigeration compressors in Sidney annually, and with its other facilities around the globe, supplies numerous major original equipment manufacturers in the HVACR industry.
Emerson employees strive for an “Accident Free Workplace” every day, and work towards world class levels of safety and quality. The facility remains focused on lean manufacturing and supply chain excellence.
Building a community
“Emerson’s commitment to the region comes not only from a sense of corporate responsibility but is driven by employees in Sidney who want to give back to their community,” said Schroeder. “The programs Emerson supports are important to creating a sense of community for employees and their families. Strengthening the community and investing in our facility goes hand-in-hand with our core values of supporting our employees and creating a great place for people to live and work.”
Support of local education and training in the HVACR industry is a priority for Emerson. Company representatives serve on the advisory board of the HVACR program at Upper Valley Career Center and Emerson provides equipment for student training.
In 2018, Emerson participated in a Habitat for Humanity build in Shelby County, providing 80 volunteers and sponsorship support. The company also continued its support for the United Way, among other community engagement activities.
Emerson also hosts its own programs for inclusion and diversity, including employee resource groups such as Women in STEM. Every year, the company also supports tomorrow’s workforce by bringing hundreds of students onsite through programs and local partnerships to learn more about STEM careers, including engineering, laboratory processes, information technology and manufacturing.
Emerson creates a number of career growth opportunities for students pursuing their Bachelor’s degrees by hosting over 140 co-ops between fall, spring and summer semesters every year.
Emerson is focused on the future of its footprint in Shelby County and creating innovations to drive the air conditioning and refrigeration industries. To learn more about Emerson’s values, vision and customer offerings, visit Emerson.com.
