Emerson opens $35 million facility in Ash Flat

Emerson on Friday (July 29) opened its $35 million facility in Ash Flat. The company re-fitted the former 277,000 square foot Cherokee Frame manufacturing plant for its professional tools business, with a primary focus on producing Greenlee specialty tools and related products for electrical tradespeople across North America.

Emerson currently has more than 150 employees working at the facility and plans to grow the operations, with a goal of creating up to 285 total jobs at the site over the next four years.

“Today is the culmination of the strong partnerships we have forged over the past two years with local, state, and federal organizations, and we deeply appreciate their support,” said Craig Sumner, president of Emerson’s professional tools business. “We are looking forward to establishing strong ties here in the Ash Flat community and taking a leadership role in developing the next generation of skilled manufacturing workers in Arkansas.”

Workforce available in the area and its close proximity to the company’s Memphis distribution center were the two primary reasons the company chose to locate at the Ash Flat site in 2020.

“Emerson has honored Arkansas by returning to the state and selecting Ash Flat for its expansion and new facility,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. “With our state’s dedicated workforce and low costs of doing business, Emerson is proof that Arkansas has the tools in place to take new and expanding companies into their next phases of growth.”

Emerson was founded in St. Louis in 1890 as a manufacturer of electric motors and fans. Over the past century, the company has grown from a regional manufacturer into a global technology and software solutions powerhouse.

“Arkansas continues to be one of the most financially sound states in the country,” said Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. “Our diversified economy and business-friendly policies kept our state open for business and we continue to see the results of those decisions as Emerson and similar companies have been able to invest in our state and create more jobs for hardworking Arkansans.”