The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities has provided seven local manufacturers with $19,000 each to assist their efforts in developing and producing parts and components in the clean energy sector.
The manufacturing transformation mini-grants were part of the Retool WNY initiative launched through the Accelerate the Southern Tier program which is a multi-year grant funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
The funding supports companies that showed significant investment in purchasing equipment, conducting research and development or creating new supply chain opportunities for products/services in the clean energy/climate technology sector. The project effectively transforms their companies to accommodate the growing manufacturing needs of the clean energy sector.
Dawson Metal, Weber Knapp, Anderson Precision, Stuart Tool & Die, Falconer Electronics, SKF and Blackstone Advanced Technologies have benefited from the grant program that ended in December 2024.
Dawson Metal, a custom sheet metal fabricator founded in 1946 and located in Jamestown, purchased a Haeger automated fastener machine. This equipment enables the manufacturer to make components for companies in the EV charging infrastructure and electric rail car assembly businesses. Dawson employs 100 people at its location on Allen Street.
Weber Knapp invested over three hundred hours in research and development and purchased new equipment to produce a line of hinges for refrigerators and freezers with greater energy efficiency standards. The first batch of hinges was produced in late 2024, and a second component line will be in production in two years. Weber Knapp expects to add two employees to assist with this new production work. The company is over one hundred years old and has two local production facilities, one on Chandler Street in Jamestown and a second on Allen Street Extension in Falconer.
Stuart Tool and Die, located in Falconer, purchased a Niagara stamping press, which provides new tooling options and the opportunity for new die builds requested by clean energy end customers. Stuart Tool has been building stamping dies for the solar industry, and the new equipment will allow the company to expand its capability to make stamped solar components. The company has added an employee to assist with the projected increase in parts. If sales continue to trend upward due to increased production capability, three additional employees may be hired.
Anderson Precision, situated on Livingston Avenue in Jamestown, services customers in the automotive, heavy truck and electric motors sectors. The company supports customer efforts to re-shore parts to North America and has started to produce a turned metal component for the battery cell in a Jeep hybrid model. The company has invested in tooling and fixtures to allow for one hundred percent optical quality inspection and test materials to meet the requirements for its end customer. The company has increased its employee count by two due to this new business opportunity.
Falconer Electronics has been in business for 40 years, manufacturing wire harness assemblies, ground straps and heavy-duty industrial power strips for large retail customers. Due to changes in the industry and foreign competition, owner Roger Hall realized the company needed to expand its ability to become connected to customers in the clean energy sector by using new marketing techniques. The company developed an enhanced online marketing profile with multiple software tools, allowing customers to build and customize parts in an online model.
This move by Falconer Electronics appealed to customers in the solar, wind and EV markets, and according to the owner, has been a game-changer. Ground straps and wiring harnesses are critical components to electric motors, inverters and other parts used in the clean energy sector. Falconer Electronics has seen a sizable increase in orders from companies seeking these parts with a “Made in America” label.
SKF USA’s Aeroengine Plant in Falconer is investing in additional equipment and automation tools to ramp up production of ceramic rolling elements for the electrified aircraft market, part of the emerging clean energy sector. Ceramic rollers and balls are forty percent lighter than their equivalent steel rolling elements. The lighter-weight components help reduce fuel usage and enable the growth of the electrified aircraft market.
SKF is focused on improving efficiency in the production line by adding a robotic arm to two existing loading and unloading machines. This project will allow for greater efficiency and increased output to meet the rising demand for these lighter-weight rollers.
Blackstone Advanced Technologies used the grant funding to assist with purchasing a laser welder. The machine provides cleaner welds at a faster speed and has allowed Blackstone Advanced Technologies to produce parts for the climate technology sector, including enclosures used in wind power production.
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