Expanded capacity facility brings innovation, jobs and economic growth

Special to 318 Forum

Energy infrastructure leader Prolec GE, a joint venture between Xignux, a Mexico-based private company and GE Vernova, ceremoniously announced the completion of a $34 million capacity expansion project at its Caddo Parish facility recently. Improvements to the company’s 500,000-square-foot manufacturing plant began in early 2023 and recently culminated with the installation and start-up of a third production line. This new line broadens the facility’s capability portfolio to include three-phase pad-mount electrical transformers that improve efficiency, reliability and flexibility of the electrical grids used in wind farms, solar parks and other industrial and renewable energy applications.

Facility layout improvements also optimized existing lines for manufacturing network transformers and voltage regulators, resulting in an approximate 15% capacity increase for each product line.

The unveiling event included speeches by company executives and federal and local dignitaries, including Bridget Bartol from U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s office and Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux. Also in attendance were representatives from the offices of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, U.S. Senator John Kennedy and U.S. Congressman Mike Johnson as well as employees and Louisiana Economic Development, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Transformer Manufacturing Association of America (TMAA) and community leadership, marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth and commitment to excellence.

Prolec GE is a major employer and contributor to the local economy, and this expansion added over 270 new positions. “We are incredibly proud of this newly expanded facility,” said Ricardo Suarez, CEO of Prolec, who also served as master of ceremonies for the event. “Not only does it enhance our ability to meet the growing needs of our customers by adding over 1,500 units per year to our production capacity, it also allows us to continue supporting a reliable and resilient U.S. electrical grid. Our talented team worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life, and we are excited to continue delivering high-quality products while supporting the local economy and creating jobs for the community.”

Prolec GE designs, manufactures, and sells products and solutions for electricity generation, transmission and distribution. As North America’s largest transformer producer, the company serves a variety of industries, including construction, engineering, and conventional and renewable energy. The additional production capacity in Shreveport will help ease transformer supply chain concerns in the U.S. as Prolec GE looks to position itself for future growth.

“It is essential for government, industry and community leaders to collaborate early and frequently to drive growth in the manufacturing sector,” Xignux CEO Juan Ignacio Garza Herrera said during his speech. “Our collaboration with government agencies, the Shreveport community and our joint venture partner, GE Vernova, was instrumental in making this expansion a reality.”

GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik continued on the theme of partnerships and progress. “This is an exciting day for the Prolec GE team and an important milestone for serving our customers and advancing the energy transition,” said Strazik. “As energy demand continues to grow, this new manufacturing line and the jobs created will continue to improve our supply chain for critical grid equipment to enable energy security and national security for the United States and beyond.” The event concluded with guided tours of the facility featuring a variety of new equipment, state-of-the-art test labs, a new training area and evidence of improved process flow. Production employees provided firsthand knowledge at select workstations to complement the narrative.