In one of the biggest economic development projects to hit Chautauqua County in years, engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. plans to invest $452 million to upgrade its massive Jamestown Engine Plant so it can produce new engine block platforms that can handle diesel, hydrogen or both.
The Columbus, Ind.-based company, which makes about one-third of the nation’s heavy-duty truck engines, wants to renovate part of its facility while bringing in new machinery and equipment that will allow it to manufacture the modern and cleaner engines.
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That will keep the plant competitive with rival companies and even within Cummins’ network, while ensuring the company can meet global emission standard regulations, as more attention is being focused globally on reducing pollution and protecting the environment.
The investment also will enable the company to retain its workforce of 1,280 employees, while adding 90 more production jobs over the next three years.
Cummins is the largest private employer in Chautauqua County.
“The investments are required in order to make the plant financially viable and cost-competitive compared to other Cummins locations globally,” the company wrote in an application to the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, in which it seeks $3 million in sales tax breaks over three years for the project.
Cummins spokeswoman Lauren Daniel said the investment is part of the company’s zero-emissions…
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