Plasser American Opens New Manufacturing Facility in Chesapeake

From left to right : Plasser American CEO Thomas Blechinger, Thomas Blechinger, Plasser & Theurer CEO Johannes Max-Theurer, Chelsea Jenkins, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Austrian Ambassador to the U.S., her excellency Petra Schneebauer, Chesapeake, Va. Mayor Rick West, Plasser & Theurer Shareholder, Victoria Max-Theurer, Plasser & Theurer Beteiligungs-und Finanzierungs AG, Member of the Board, Thorsten Bode.

Courtesy of Plasser American

CHESAPEAKE, Va. – Plasser American announced its opening and ribbon cutting at its new 82,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility, located at 2428 Josef Theurer Ln., Chesapeake, Virginia.

Chesapeake, Virginia-based Plasser American announced its opening and ribbon cutting at its new 82,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility, located at 2428 Josef Theurer Ln., Chesapeake, Virginia on Thursday, October 5, 2023 from noon to 1:30 p.m. The new manufacturing facility grows the company’s footprint as a committed corporate and community partner locally as well as in Virginia.

The launch of Plasser American’s new manufacturing building this October is a testament to the company’s mission of supporting the railroad industry by providing cutting-edge machines, technologies, and services for their customer’s individual needs. As a symbol of its commitment to investing in the future, the company’s project invests in creating 75 new jobs and investing in the community. 

The 82,000 sq. ft. facility uses state-of-the-art technology that will allow Plasser American to manufacture machines more efficiently, with a level of precision once unimaginable. Along with its size, it has four interior/exterior rail tracks to increase production capability and efficiency. Additionally, the manufacturing, warehousing, and engineering workspace houses four 50-ton overhead cranes and four new tracks tied into the existing network to allow for increased material movement and streamlined manufacturing processing.

With a $52 million investment, and a total project investment with campus improvements of $32 million, this second part of a multimillion-dollar expansion is one of the largest in the Hampton Roads area. 

President and CEO of Plasser American, Thomas Blechinger, said: “Plasser American stands on the cusp of a new era. Just as the railroad played a pivotal role in our past, it is set to play a transformative role in our future. The renewed emphasis on sustainable practices and environmentally friendly solutions has rekindled interest in rail transport. With its energy efficiency and lower environmental impact, the railway industry is poised to redefine the way, yet again, how we move goods and people across the nation.”

Based in Chesapeake, Virginia since 1970, Plasser American has a North America-specific product portfolio that builds 40 machines per year on average, with more than 2,500 machines delivered and over 1,800 built. Among the machines being manufactured are the RM-80 high performance Ballast Cleaning machine and the Plasser Dynamic Track Stabilizer PTS-62. The PTS-62 is designed to apply controlled, accurate stabilizing forces into the track structure at a continuous speed of up to 1 mph.

Moreover, the Metro 4×4, a heavy-duty, high-performance tamping machine, and the BDS100 and BDS200, the Plasser Ballast Distribution System consisting of two units that work together as one machine, are among the machines being manufactured.

With over 375 employees, it includes 13% with over 15 years of service, 20% over 10 years of service and six staff with more than four decades of service. The workforce at Plasser American has an overall tenure average of 6.5 years, more than the U.S. average tenure in manufacturing of five years. While building this new facility started officially back in May 2022, there were close to 200 men and women (contractors) building it and 300 direct and indirect labor who contributed locally with building the machines. 

Below are renderings of the new facility:

All images and PDFs courtesy of Plasser American.