SHERRILL, NY – Local media, employees and government representatives joined Briggs & Stratton executives who opened a new manufacturing facility in Sherrill, New York earlier this month. The move is a welcome change, as the previous facility was at max capacity with virtually every inch being used in some way.
The old plant, operating out of an old schoolhouse in Munsville, New York, had between 500 to 550 employees working out of it. The old gymnasium was even used as an auditorium for holding big meetings. In 2004, the company acquired Ferris, which teed up the company for a large amount of growth. After 20 years of operation, four additions onto the schoolhouse and the Ferris acquisition, the company needed to expand.
Now, the new facility offers double the capacity for operations. It took about 10 days to move people and product to the 552,000 square foot facility. It also features 28 loading docks.
With the capability to manufacture three different lines, plus the blower line soon, Todd Teske, chairman, president and CEO of Briggs & Stratton, says the team is adapting to the change, and that team is a core reason for the move.
“I could tell these people cared,” Teske said. “That’s why we moved down the road.”
As far as production, the Munsville plant is still producing blowers but Teske says that will eventually stop. The new facility houses more sophisticated machinery and administrative space for training. For instance, during the finishing process, a new paint machine allows color changes to be made in about 15 minutes versus an hour at the old facility.
The new Sherrill facility manufactures commercial lawn care products from Briggs & Stratton’s Ferris, Simplicity, Snapper, Snapper Pro and Billy Goat brands.
The new facility was once used for Oneida silverware production, and the Briggs team found it in disarray. Teske admits it was a sad sight but felt the company could turn it around for the community.
“I thought, we can make this place into something,” he said. The process from inception to operation took about three years, and construction took about 18 months. The Briggs workforce was maintained through the transition, and there’s room for more, too. Lauren Vagnini, corporate communications manager for the company, says they’ve created 50 new positions and are looking to hire about 60 more people.