Photo: Gov. Ricketts speaks with teammates of Allmand, Inc. in Holdrege to congratulate the company on its new expansion.
Today, Governor Pete Ricketts visited Holdrege to celebrate the groundbreaking on a new expansion project by manufacturing firm Allmand, Inc.
“Allmand has been creating high-quality manufacturing jobs and contributing to the Nebraska economy for over eight decades,” said Gov. Ricketts. “This expansion will help the company spur additional growth, creating even more great job opportunities for families in Holdrege.”
Allmand designs and manufactures portable jobsite equipment including light towers, generators, compressors, heaters, and portable lights. The company began in Huntley, Nebraska in 1938 and has been based in Holdrege since 1948. It was acquired by the Milwaukee-based Briggs & Stratton Corporation in 2014, and continues to strengthen its Nebraska roots with new growth.
Allmand announced plans to expand its Holdrege plant last December. The project, expected to be completed this year, will facilitate an increase in production capacity, innovation, and speed to market. It includes five new assembly lines, a prototyping lab, a new paint system and robotic weld cells, and enhanced technological infrastructure. The expansion will create around 20 jobs.
Representatives from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), Nebraska Department of Transportation, Phelps County Development Corp., the Nebraska Economic Development Corp., the Phelps County Commissioners, and Holdrege City Council were on hand to participate in today’s event. Each of these organizations provided support to Allmand throughout the expansion planning process.
Addressing the audience, Governor Ricketts congratulated Allmand on its growth, while thanking the company for contributing manufacturing jobs and Nebraska-made innovation to the state’s economy. Manufacturing firms presently employ over 97,000 Nebraskans, and offer competitive wages and a strong occupational outlook. A recent economic analysis report by SRI International listed manufacturing as a high-growth industry poised to create opportunity for the current and future workforce.
“We’re pleased see to a great Nebraska company continue to succeed and grow our state’s manufacturing sector,” said DED Director Dave Rippe. “We also appreciate the partnerships that went into supporting Allmand’s expansion. But it’s really our state’s talented workforce that make events like today possible. Our congratulations go out to Allmand, as well as the people of Holdrege, for today’s achievement.”