Swager towers in Fremont job creation
Swager towers in Fremont job creation
Posted: Saturday, November 2, 2013 2:45 am | Updated: 7:31 am, Sat Nov 2, 2013.
By Jennifer Decker
jdecker@kpcmedia.com
FREMONT — A Fremont-based, family-owned international manufacturer has created 28 jobs since February with more positions planned in the coming year.
Swager Communication, 501 E. Swager Drive, a 52-employee northeast tower manufacturer, has experienced rapid growth and has obtained more contracts through the transportation and defense industries.
“The major challenge we’ve faced is finding the workers with the skills and training needed to fill our positions in the field,” said Dan Swager, company president.
Swager plans to create at least 15 more jobs by March 2014. Tim Swager, vice president of manufacturing, said it’s likely the company will need to hire more welders and steel fabricators. Wages will be in the mid-$30,000 annual range. He said more hiring details will be available at a later date.
Since the beginning of this year, Swager has had an overall impact of more than $4 million in the economy. That is based on the company’s emphasis on regional purchasing and sourcing. Tim Swager said almost all of the company’s manufacturing materials come from Indiana, including steel — a point of pride, he said, in supporting the statewide economy.
The company has orders from one of the nation’s leading defense contractors of more than $2 million, according to a news release. Because of security issues, Tim Swager said he wasn’t at liberty to say what the company’s major contractors are.
In July, Swager was awarded a six-year tax abatement from the Fremont Town Council on $201,000 in equipment, with 21 employees retained and two more to be added. The job creation aspect has exceeded the estimate.
The company also offers international training. Tim Swager said the company recently trained 16 air force members from northeastern Africa. Swager served as the guest host and offered training in tower installation. In 2003, Swager trained four Egyptians.
Swager Communications Inc. is a family-owned and operated business established in 1950 by William E. Swager. Since 1950, the Swager family has been in the business of design, fabrication and erection of steel towers. The Swagers have been pioneers in the tower and communications industry in the United States since its inception, said the news release.
For more than 50 years, the Swager family has performed turnkey communications construction contracts for government agencies and commercial accounts. Such contracts involve work from around the world.
