The Natchitoches City Council approved and accepted a contract for exemption of ad valorem taxes for Alliance Compressors at its March 13 meeting. Plant Manager Bryan Brock said Alliance has been operating in the Natchitoches area for 25 years now, making 32 million compressors along the way. They employ 660 workers.
Alliance recently announced a $45 million capacity expansion as covered in the NPJ. With the capacity expansion, Alliance is creating 78 direct new jobs with an average annual salary of $47,000. The company is also retaining 520 existing jobs. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 96 indirect jobs, for a total of 174 new jobs in the region. At the peak of development, the project will result in 55 construction jobs.
The expansion will allow Alliance, a joint venture of Emerson, Trane Technologies and Lennox Industries, to add a third assembly line to its 400,000 square-foot facility in Natchitoches. The investment will include the purchase of new machinery and equipment, such as conveyor systems, automated welders, a washer for parts and material handling equipment. The company estimates the reconfiguration of its production flow will result in a 30-percent increase in efficiency and productivity.