Flowserve Corporation, a Houston-based manufacturer of fluid motion and control products and services for industries including oil and gas, is moving its team of 24 employees in Vancouver to a new facility in Ridgefield.
On Thursday, Flowserve and its landlord, Investment & Development Ventures LLC (IDV), held a ceremonial groundbreaking near the site of the new facility with officials from the City of Ridgefield.
“With this new building, we plan to be there a good 30 to 40 years before we look at another facility, so we’re certainly invested long-term,” said Mike Smith, Flowserve’s director of operations.
Located on a 3.9-acre parcel at 7075 S. 5th St., the project consists of a 57,600-square-foot concrete walled, pre-engineered metal building with a 4,400-square-foot truck canopy. The facility will be approximately three times the size of the 18,000-square-foot building the company has leased in Vancouver (10400 NE 13th Ave.) since the mid 1970s.
“Right now we work within a space that is very cramped,” said Smith. “There are some safety concerns with the [old] building, so by moving into a larger facility it’s going to increase our capability to serve the industries that we serve – more efficient workflows and higher productivities, which all net positive things.”
Flowserve’s local team specializes in the repair and upgrading of industrial-grade pumps – some of which are valued at $1.5 to $2 million, according to Smith.
“The repair revenue per pump in some cases can be $500,000 to $1 million,” he said.
Flowserve expects to add four to six additional employees during its first year in the Ridgefield facility. Within the next five years, assuming business projections remain positive, Smith said the local team could grow to 35 to 40 employees.
“For the City of Ridgefield, right off the bat this means a great new facility, a really good business and another type of business,” said Ridgefield Mayor Ron Onslow. “It’s another [company] that I believe can go out and get people that need an education – and they can get an education in this field.
“They’re going to start out with over 25 employees, which is another [feather] in our cap,” he added. “Ridgefield already has over 2,000 jobs with a population of 7,500. This is another step in growing our jobs. We’re trying to make it so people can drive a short distance to work … it adds to the charm of Ridgefield.”
The TEAM Construction-led project is expected to be complete in March of next year.
