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GLENVILLE
Rail car manufacturer makes offer to buy vacant Super Steel facility
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com.

    An international manufacturer of rail cars is offering to buy Super Steel’s vacant locomotive manufacturing plant in the Glenville Business and Technology Park, a transportation official said.
    The San Francisco-based AnsaldoBreda Inc., a unit of Ansaldo-Breda S.p.A. of Italy, tendered an offer the week of June 6 to Super Steel Products Corp. of Milwaukee, Wis., to buy the Glenville plant and its equipment, according to Walter Zmuda, director of surface transportation for the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority.
    Super Steel built the plant in 1996 but shuttered it in April, laying off 175 workers. The company cited a loss of orders going into the new year in the freight locomotive business for the closure.
    Zmuda made the announcement at NFTA’s Surface Transportation Committee meeting June 18 in Buffalo. NFTA oversees light rail and bus operations for the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Niagara Falls International Airport, and the Metro Bus and Rail in Erie and Niagara counties.
    NFTA has a $32 million contract, signed in May 2006, with Ansaldo-Breda to refurbish 27 light rail cars. AnsaldoBreda had subcontracted with Super Steel to do the work at its Glenville plant.
    When Super Steel closed the plant, AnsaldoBreda was forced to find a different subcontractor for the work, Zmuda said. It is currently using Gray Manufacturing Industries LLC in Hornell to refurbish two light rail cars.
    Zmuda said this is a short-term solution. AnsaldoBreda’s longterm strategy is to buy the Super Steel plant to complete the rest of the work, he said. If the deal falls through, AnsaldoBreda will continue working with GMI, Zmuda said.
    GMI would have to gear up its plant to take on the rest of the project, a NFTA official said.
    Representatives from Super Steel and AnsaldoBreda did not return phone calls for comment. .............>>>>..................>>>>.........http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00502

This development is good news for the people of Schenectady County.  If AnsaldoBreda is successful in purchasing the facility, Schenectady County government and Metroplex should ensure that their infrastructure needs are provided for.  Contacts should be made by our county business development representatives with companies that provide parts and services supporting the transportation industry to assess their interest in establishing operations in the area.