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Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

Washington County is a prime location for transportation equipment manufacturing, including:  

  • Motor Vehicle Body & Trailer Manufacturing
  • Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing
  • Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Parts Manufacturing

We’re also a great location for companies that are part of this supply chain, such as:

  • Engineered Materials
  • Plastics and Rubber Products
  • Fiber Manufacturing
  • Primary Metal Manufacturing
  • Fabricated Metal Products
  • Electrical Equipment Manufacturing

Interesting Facts

Proximity

Washington County’s geographic location provides convenient access to vehicular assembly plants throughout the southeast and Midwest. 7 automotive assembly plants are located within 300 miles of Washington County, including: BMW, VW, Toyota, Ford, GM, and Nissan. 8 additional light/heavy truck and bus assembly plants, including facilities for Volvo Trucks North America and Daimler, are also located within 300 miles of Washington County’s premier business locations.

Industry Growth

Transportation Equipment Manufacturing employment in Washington County grew by +33% between 2012-2018 (BLS, QCEW). Dry van manufacturing and assembly represents the largest subsector for Transportation Equipment Manufacturing within Washington County.

Headquarters & Facilities

Virginia is home to the corporate headquarters for Volkswagen Group of America. The largest Volvo Truck manufacturing and assembly facility in the world, is located just 90 minutes north of Washington County, VA.

Over 80 Automotive and Truck Manufacturing Suppliers Are Located Within 100 Miles or Less of Washington County, VA

Regional Employers in Virginia

Company Product/Service
Utility Trailer - Glade SpringDry Vans
Paramont ManufacturingInjection-Molded Components
Zenith Fuel SystemsFuel Systems
Universal FibersSynthetic Fiber
Utility Trailer - Atkins Refrigerated Freight Trailers
ZFSteering Systems
Somic America Steering Components
Atsumi Car EquipmentHub Bearings and Spindles

Business Spotlight

With operations in Washington County and neighboring Smyth County, Utility Trailer employees over 1,000 workers across the region.  A manufacturer of dry vans and refrigerated trailers, Utility Trailer’s Washington County facility celebrated production of its 100,000th trailer during 2018.

Located in Oak Park: Center for Business & Industry, Paramont Manufacturing is an injection molding company producing outer body components for heavy truck and equipment manufacturers, including engine hoods, bumpers, and panels. 

Workforce

There is a strong labor pool in the Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol VA/TN MSA to support the transportation manufacturing industry. Listed below are occupations that are relevant to the this industry and the amount of current employees within each. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2019)

  • Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers - 510 Employees
  • Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers – 410 Employees
  • Helpers—Production Workers – 520 Employees
  • Industrial Engineers – 260 Employees
  • Machinists – 310 Employees
  • Mechanical Engineers – 330 Employees

Comparative Wages for Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

Wages for workers in this industry are low to competitive in the Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol VA/TN MSA compared with wages in similar markets.(Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2019)

OccupationKingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA MSACharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC MSANashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN MSALexington-Fayette, KY MSAU.S. Average
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$14.76$17.17$17.60$18.84$17.94
Machinists$23.18$21.67$20.01$21.91$22.17
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$12.55$19.54$18.35$16.11$16.67
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$19.60$21.91$20.06$21.62$21.73

Research & Development

Virginia is home to many automotive R&D facilities, including: