SIDNEY — Since 1937, Sidney has been the home of Emerson’s world-renowned Copeland brand compressors for air conditioning and refrigeration. Today the Sidney location serves as the company’s headquarters in the Americas for compressor technology.
“Emerson produces over 300,000 air conditioning and refrigeration compressors in Sidney annually, and with its other facilities around the globe, supplies numerous major original equipment manufacturers in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) industry,” said Brent Schroeder, Group President, Heating & Air Conditioning for Emerson.
His report continues:
In 2019, Emerson entered the second phase of its $100 million ongoing Sidney renovation and expansion project. In 2018, Emerson added a new lobby and office space visible from I-75, plus a new visitor gate on Campbell Road, a new east side entrance and significant infrastructure work. Emerson has been working with local firms on the facility construction.
The current phase of the project includes completion of 110,000 square feet of lab and testing space that will be the new home for more than 90 technicians. The new space will allow Emerson to test compressor life by simulating years of field operation under accelerated conditions. The facility will also feature 60 test rooms to test compressor performance and overall efficiency.
Emerson is working to lead the HVACR industry into the future by supporting environmentally friendly air conditioning and refrigeration systems. Much of the work of these new labs will be focused on helping Emerson test new sustainable refrigerants on its new compressor models.
The work Emerson does in Sidney will help bring these environmentally friendly refrigerants into new HVACR systems, like residential air conditioners, and the air conditioners and refrigeration systems found in stores, restaurants and other commercial buildings.
Emerson’s construction on its Sidney facility will continue, with the intention of creating an environment to attract tomorrow’s engineers, scientists and industry leaders. 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.
The renovated facility will enable engineers to conduct research, development and testing to create future innovations for compressors and associated controls. The facility continues to manufacture Copeland brand compressors and condensing units. Globally, Emerson has produced more than 170 million Copeland compressors and invested $1.5 billion to date in development of its scroll technology.
Supporting Future Careers in STEM
Emerson has placed a global emphasis on supporting STEM (science, technology engineering and math) programs and fostering the science and technology behind HVACR education.
Following on several successful corporate programs, Emerson held its first We Love STEM Day in Sidney in August. The program, which was open to employee children and grandchildren, included fun STEM programs for students K-12. The successful program brought 30 STEM activities to 252 students with the help of 170 Emerson volunteers.
The company maintains a strong ongoing STEM and HVACR education program in Sidney with the Women in STEM Employee Resource Group and with company representatives serving on the advisory board of the HVACR program at Upper Valley Career Center.
The company also supports tomorrow’s workforce by bringing hundreds of high school students onsite through job shadows, manufacturing tours and other onsite programs. Local partnerships and these programs inspire tomorrow’s workforce to learn more about STEM careers, including engineering, laboratory processes, information technology and manufacturing.
The Sidney facility hosts Emerson’s largest co-op program, creating career growth opportunities for students pursuing their Bachelor’s degrees by hosting over 200 co-ops between fall, spring and summer semesters every year. Emerson co-ops get real world experience in engineering, technology and business, while also collaborating with peers from across the country during career and professional growth events throughout the semester.
Supporting the Future of Sidney
Community participation and support is a priority for Emerson. The company hosted a volunteer fair in 2019, featuring volunteer opportunities for employees with 26 local non-profit agencies. Currently, Emerson has 41 employees serving as non-profit board members in local communities.
As a long-standing supporter and leading company contributor of Shelby County’s United Way, Emerson works to support and fund a number of local projects.
In 2019, the company contributed to the equipment for Tawawa Park’s new inclusive playground. The new equipment offers adaptive play areas that allow a sibling or friend to ride together on the same piece of play equipment and for an adult to sit across from a child, allowing them to swing together, face-to-face. This is one of six play areas that Emerson has assisted with funding in the last ten years for Sidney Parks. This along with multiple other community investments, such as the new Wilson Memorial Hospital 3D mammogram equipment, demonstrate the support of our employees as well as our community.
Leading into the Future
Emerson is focused on the future of its footprint in Shelby County and creating innovations to drive the air conditioning and refrigeration industries. The updates to its facility will help Emerson lead the HVACR industry in bringing new environmentally sustainable technologies to the homes and businesses of Shelby County and around the world.
Emerson will continue to work to attract the next generation of engineers and innovators to be part of its Sidney facility, with a continued focus on STEM and HVACR education.
And most importantly, Emerson will be a strong corporate citizen, continuing to help make Sidney and Shelby County a great place to live and work.
To learn more about Emerson’s values, vision and customer offerings, visit Emerson.com.
