Gov. John Bel Edwards and Sabre Industries CEO and President Peter J. Sandore announced the company will make a $1.6 million capital investment and create 50 new direct jobs at its Sabre Building Systems by CellXion manufacturing location in Bossier City.
Sabre industries will retain 167 existing jobs in Bossier City while creating the 50 new direct jobs, which will provide an average salary of $47,000 per year, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 13 indirect jobs, for a total of more than 60 new jobs in Northwest Louisiana.
Based in Alvarado, Texas, south of Fort Worth, Sabre Industries manufactures engineered structures for the utility and telecommunications industries. In Bossier City, the company’s Sabre Building Systems by CellXion division will produce large steel poles and support systems for transmission networks and towers that are currently manufactured in Texas and Ohio facilities.
“Manufacturing continues to be a mainstay of the Louisiana economy, and we are excited to help one of our key manufacturers better serve its electrical grid and wireless communications customers with a more advanced, efficient process,” Gov. Edwards said. “This expansion in Bossier City will equip Sabre Industries to provide additional laser welding techniques with plasma control and programmable functions that will keep our workforce current with cutting-edge technologies.”
In Bossier City, the new production line will help Sabre Industries supply customer demand for steel-fabricated poles that increasingly are replacing aging wood poles in transmission networks. The Sabre Building Systems site includes a 250,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, modular shelter manufacturing plant, along with a fully equipped 60,000-square-foot steel fabrication facility and an 80,000-square-foot equipment installation facility. Existing work in Bossier City includes the fabrication of concrete, structural steel and ultra-light aluminum shelters, along with concrete cabinets.
“Our team at the Bossier City facility has many complementary capabilities needed to support this effort, including strong metal-fabricating skills and a highly responsive and flexible management team that will be required to support this project,” Sandore said. “LED has been extremely supportive of the project, providing a state incentive package that included the Quality Jobs Program, LED FastStart® and the Industrial Tax Exemption Program, which were instrumental in our decision.”
“I congratulate and thank Sabre Industries for making this most significant investment in our local economy,” Bossier City Mayor Lorenz Walker said. “It’s always exciting to see continued expansion of employment opportunities here in Bossier City. I also applaud Governor Edwards and LED for their hard work in assisting Sabre Industries with bringing these additional jobs to our city and strengthening Sabre as a leading Bossier City employer.”
LED began working with Sabre Industries on the potential expansion project in March 2017. To secure the project, the State of Louisiana offered the company a competitive incentive package that includes the comprehensive workforce solutions of LED FastStart, the No. 1 state workforce training program in the U.S. In addition, Sabre Industries is expected to utilize the state’s Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.
The Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation, or GBEDF, worked with LED and the company to secure the project win.
“The Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation is excited to be a part of the Sabre Industries investment and expansion of manufacturing jobs in Bossier,” said GBEDF board Chairman Tommy Boggs. “We are proud to partner with the city and parish in order to help to share the message that Bossier means business. Our community’s progressive leadership has once again helped position Bossier to be competitive in securing new jobs and investment."
“The GBEDF recognizes the important role that manufacturing plays in our local economic landscape, and believes that Bossier City is the best choice for Sabre’s expansion,” said GBEDF Executive Director and CEO David “Rocky” Rockett Jr. “Bossier provides outstanding workforce capabilities, which are critical to supplying the talent pipeline for one of the nation’s fastest-growing industries. Our organization has made significant investments in local manufacturing training programs in order to attract new jobs and support the further development of our community.”
About Sabre Industries
In business since 1977, Sabre is a leading producer of highly engineered products used for electric transmission and distribution and wireless telecommunications, offering a complete customer solution with a full range of engineered towers, poles, structures and related services. The company’s vast array of product offerings and extensive manufacturing capabilities has allowed Sabre to develop leading positions with a high-quality, diversified group of customers, including the nation’s largest utilities and wireless communications firms. For more information, visit SabreIndustries.com.