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Delavan Welding – Delavan Industries – Blasdell, NY -
West Seneca, NY – builds new car transporters 1940s-present. Delavan, which
engineers and designs auto transporters from the ground up in West Seneca,
New York, has been in business for 50 years - longer than any other company
in the industry - and has produced thousands of transporters still on the
roads. They also refurbish and modify transport equipment for the automotive
transportation market. Delavan recently reorganized its production process
at its West Seneca facility and is investing $1.2 million to expand its
operations into a new 30,000 square foot facility in the Town of Blasdell
that will accommodate the company's paint department. Delavan is purchasing
new machinery and equipment and will train 71 newly hired employees in
general technics, welding and machine operation. ESD approved a $150,000
grant to be disbursed over two years to assist with the training. The
company currently employs 122 at its two facilities in Erie County. The
original Delavan Welding started in 1946 by three gentlemen, Milford N.
Lempke, Alfred J. Gentile and John J. Johnston. They started out doing
repairs for airplane plants and decided to manufacture automobile
transporters. By the early 1970's they were producing equipment at a rate of
15 units per month. In 1972 Ryder System, Inc purchased Delavan Welding and
from there they started producing trailers to haul for the big three for the
next 26 years operating under different names. In 1997 Ryder System Inc.
decided to sell off its manufacturing division of its Automotive Carrying
Group. Lohr Industrie of Hangenbieten, France purchased all of the assets of
the manufacturing plant from the subsidiary of Ryder System Inc. Lohr
Industrie is the global leader in automobile transporters with manufacturing
plants in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Africa.
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