SEL to invest more than $500 million in US manufacturing
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is investing more than USD 500 million in new plants, production equipment and staff across four US states. The goal is to raise its output of electronic devices by up to 60% to keep pace with growing demand from power grids and data centres.
The investments will take place between 2026 and 2028 and include three new electronic device manufacturing facilities in Idaho, expanded manufacturing in Pullman, Washington, and West Lafayette, Indiana, and more panel assembly space in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to a press release from SEL. The company makes equipment that protects, monitors and controls power systems and other critical infrastructure.
The demand is driven by investment in power grids, grid modernisation, data centres and industrial infrastructure, as customers try to make their power systems more reliable, secure and resilient.
“These projects will expand our manufacturing footprint, strengthen our ability to serve customers worldwide, and create new career opportunities in the communities where we operate,” said Dave Whitehead, president of SEL.
The bulk of the investment goes to Idaho, where SEL is establishing three new electronics plants. The largest in floor space is in Moscow, where the company is building a new facility of around 28,300 square metres for more than USD 70 million. It is expected to be operational by the end of 2027.
In Nampa, SEL has bought an existing building of around 9,600 square metres that will be converted into an electronics plant. The investment of USD 150 million covers the property, equipment and staff, and the plant will initially employ 250 people when production starts in early 2027.
Post Falls follows the same model, with a USD 150 million investment and 250 initial employees in a converted commercial building, but production there is not expected to start until late 2027. SEL has not disclosed the size of the building.
In Pullman, where SEL has its headquarters, the company has bought a building of about 12,600 square metres on a 4.7-hectare site and is converting it into a manufacturing facility for around 300 employees. It is expected to open in early 2027. In West Lafayette, SEL is investing USD 25 million to increase board assembly capacity by more than 35%, and in Charlotte the company is investing USD 15 million to add more than 4,600 square metres of panel assembly space. Both projects are scheduled for completion in 2027.
On top of the new facilities, SEL is investing more than USD 100 million in new production equipment. Together with more than 600 new assemblers and additional shifts in Pullman and Lewiston, this is expected to increase the company’s output of electronic devices by 40% to 60%.