Liebert Corp.

Wednesday, August 02, 2000

Liebert Corp. employees will celebrate the Ironton plant’s grand opening this month.

The company, a division of Emerson Electric Inc., has scheduled an Aug. 18 open house for employees and community officials, a sort of introduction, Liebert spokesperson Matt Wisla said.

"It’s for employees and their families and will mark the official opening of the facility," Wisla said. "There will be special guests and dignitaries but there’s no list right now."

Liebert’s entry into the city has sparked excitement among not only those looking for work but also among local government leaders dealing with last year’s industry shutdowns that resulted in the loss of 1,000 jobs.

"They’re booming and growing and meeting all expectations," Ironton Mayor Bob Cleary said.

The new job wave is in the technology field and Liebert has brought that to the city, Cleary said.

Liebert Corp. signed a 10-year lease of the former Cabletron Systems Inc. building in early April, setting the stage for the technology company’s expected startup in May.

Company officials said then that the plant would employ an estimated 150 people within six months and an additional 50 people over the next three years.

Plant size reflects the number of orders coming, so Liebert does not release job and sales statistics for competitive reasons, Wisla said.

But Liebert’s product line – environmental control products for computer systems – is vibrant and meeting company expectations, Wisla said.

"As far as fitting into the new economy, computer infrastructure, we’re very excited about the opportunity and our product line," he said. "And we’re excited about Ironton, too."

Ironton also is excited about Liebert because it brings much-needed growth, the mayor said.

"They said they were going to hire 50 people and more in the next six months yet they’re already at more than 200 and climbing, working three shifts," Cleary said.

The city expects the company to hire more workers and talk about expansion soon, he said.

"They are going to make a good corporate neighbor," Cleary said.

Liebert is banking on the idea that growth of the Internet and business reliance on computers will point the way to its own growth, Wisla said.

"Our focus in this instance is temperature and humidity control units, precision air conditioning for computer rooms, for example," he said.

"The way the Internet and the new economy has taken shape, Liebert, the Ironton plant and other divisions of Emmerson have lots of chances to participate in that and meet customer needs across the board."

The company has not announced additional hirings "as market forces dictate when it will hire," Wisla said.