Upper Burrell’s Versa-Fab helps update electrical grid

Demand for precision machining and manufacturing continues to grow for Versa-Fab Inc., a family business in Upper Burrell founded in 1989.

Located in the Westmoreland Business and Research Park, the company provides products and engineering services to customers in North America and Europe.

Their products include electrical enclosures, conveyor systems, consoles, structural frames, machined parts, electrical control panels and more.

Customers come from industries such as power generation and distribution, transportation, electronics, defense, food handling systems, glass, steel, coal and heavy equipment manufacturers.

Demand for services and equipment continues to grow, said Jim Cullen, the second-generation company owner.

So much so that Versa-Fab built a 50,000-square-foot building in 2007 and then added another 30,000 square feet in 2015 for additional production space, he said.

“Demand in all sectors we work in continues to grow,” Cullen said.

Versa-Fab develops and manufactures the hardware for updates to the grid system. And there’s great demand long-term for work for the U.S. electric power grid.

“The grid system is outdated at a time when consumer demand is increasing,” he said.

About 70% of the U.S. electric power grid’s transmission lines and power transformers are more than 25 years old, according to a recent article in Electrek, a news website about electric transportation.

Additionally, transmission capacity is not enough, particularly for the transfer of power to geographic regions.

The increased demand for electricity is evident in everyday life.

“Every time you pick up an iPhone and use it and charge it, that adds to demand,” Cullen said. “It’s a huge issue.”

Business operations at the Upper Burrell site include engineering and drafting, CNC machining, fabrication and welding, and finishing.

The company integrates automation, robotics and developing technologies into its processes, Cullen said.

Currently, there are about 70 employees at the company, which is looking to hire more workers, including machinists and welders.