Manufacturer weighs in on Nevada expansion

Rice Lake Weighing Systems purchased a manufacturing facility in Fernley, NV, to expand their manufacturing for heavy-capacity customers.

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Rice Lake Weighing Systems announced the purchase of a 29,700 square foot manufacturing facility in Fernley, Nevada, where the company plans to expand truck-scale manufacturing and improve service to its western heavy-capacity customers. This is optimistic news, not only for the state of Nevada, but also for the Wisconsin-based scale manufacturer, who hasn’t seen one layoff in its entire 65 year history. Rice Lake firmly believes that their experienced workforce and an overall commitment to keeping Americans at Work are key factors in their success. This expansion will create at least 25 new jobs upon opening in November, primarily for welders, painters and other skilled positions, with the potential for additional growth and hiring in the future.

Rice Lake began manufacturing truck scales from its Wisconsin headquarters in 1997, delivering the SURVIVOR brand throughout North America. In 2005 Rice Lake expanded heavy-capacity manufacturing to include Jasper, Alabama, which better served their southern and eastern sales territories, and allowed for increased production overall. Since that time, demand for the SURVIVOR brand has increased exponentially, making SURVIVOR scales the number one selling truck-scale brand in North America.

“We are very conscious about maintaining our standards for delivery and customer service, and it’s become necessary to once again increase our manufacturing capacity,” explains Mark Johnson Jr., Vice President of Rice Lake Weighing Systems. “We wanted this new location to be more central to our customers in the west. The Northern Nevada Development Authority (NNDA) ultimately helped us decide on Nevada, where we’re very excited about the business climate and future expansion possibilities.”

Nevada officials are pleased to welcome Rice Lake Weighing Systems to the Lyon County area as well. Nevada Governor, Brian Sandoval, congratulates all parties on a job well done. “I have made it a priority to create a warm and friendly business environment that provides opportunities for businesses,” he says.

The Fernley facility, just 25 minutes east of Reno, offers direct access to Interstate 80 and main rail lines, which is useful for transporting heavy-capacity products. Mark Johnson Jr. adds, “I’m very pleased that we so quickly found an existing facility that works for us. It’s a great location and also happens to be very well equipped for our specific manufacturing needs. Many thanks to the state of Nevada and its officials. They’ve been very helpful and welcoming throughout this entire process.”

- Edited by Chris Vavra, Plant Engineering, www.plantengineering.com