A Utah-based mechanical contractor is accelerating expansion plans into Green River, Wyoming, to provide union jobs that match the pay and benefits of local mining positions. The move comes as Green River prepares for the loss of 350 jobs at WE Soda over the next two years, according to a November 12 report.
BCS Mechanical, a commercial mechanical contractor providing HVAC, plumbing, and design-build engineering services, has hired Strat Friel to lead the southwest Wyoming expansion. Friel is a Green River local and former engineer at FMC Trona Mine, according to company president Chad Hustad.
Hustad said the company is moving full speed ahead after WE Soda announced layoffs last week. BCS Mechanical was awarded a bid for a chiller project at a Green River school on Wednesday. To support the expansion, the company plans to open an office in Green River or Rock Springs, or potentially construct its own facility. The company aims to hire 20 to 30 people over the next six months.
The company is working with area unions to train workers, including those facing layoffs from the mines. Hustad stated that he signed an agreement Thursday with the Plumbers and Pipefitters union in Cheyenne, and the company is also working with the Steelworkers and other area unions.
Hustad noted that the company's goal is to keep work local rather than bringing in out-of-state workers. He stated that he intends to offer employees good pay and work-life balance, even if it means taking less profit, to ensure better work quality.
Marshal Cummings, president of United Steelworkers Local 13214, said on Thursday that while he had not heard of the BCS Mechanical expansion, any new business, especially a union shop, is a positive development for Sweetwater County.
Cummings is currently seeking relief for the trona industry and is planning to meet with U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, U.S. Sen.-elect Harriet Hageman, and U.S. Rep.-elect Chuck Gray following a meeting with U.S. Sen. John Barrasso on Wednesday. He expressed hope that legislative efforts could lower rail rates for Union Pacific or provide incentives for products like solar panels that utilize trona.
Sweetwater County Commissioner Taylor Jones said he was not yet aware of the BCS Mechanical expansion but noted that anxiety for miners and their families has increased since the layoff announcement. Jones warned that the mass layoffs are expected to have ripple effects across the wider Sweetwater County economy.
