By Mass Transit [1] - January 29, 2007
Congressman Peter DeFazio, joined by Gov. Ted Kulongoski, announced today that Oregon Iron Works Inc [2].
The announcement was made at a morning ceremony at company headquarters, attended by Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Congressman Peter DeFazio (recently named Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Transportation), Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Congresswoman Darlene Hooley, Clackamas County Commissioners Martha Schrader, Bill Kennemer, and Lynn Peterson, Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams, and TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen. Many regional and local community leaders and OIW employees were also present.
Congressman DeFazio, with the assistance of the Oregon and Washington
congressional delegations, secured a special authorization of $4 million to
foster the domestic production of a streetcar vehicle similar to the
Portland Streetcar. "We believe there are 80 cities interested in streetcar
systems," said DeFazio. "The resurgence of streetcars throughout the United States will play an increasing role in urban transit."
OIW will build a prototype streetcar under the aegis of its newly formed
subsidiary, United Streetcar LLC. The prototype will be based on the model
currently manufactured in the Czech Republic by Skoda, provider of cars for Portland's five-year-old streetcar system. The design is for a four-axle,
double-ended, low-floor streetcar, fully compatible with the existing
Portland Streetcar. The award of this contract will make OIW the sole U.S.
manufacturer of the modern low-floor streetcar.
According to Chandra Brown, OIW vice president, this project also means 20 new living wage jobs immediately at OIW, with the potential for hundreds more as national demand for streetcars increases. "We intend to provide modern, efficient, American-produced streetcars, and to be a pioneering force in increasing urban transit options throughout the United States," said Brown.
"This project is a shining example of how when we come together across
public and private sector lines, that we can deliver economic benefits for
businesses, individual Oregonians and our communities," Governor Kulongoski said. "This project helps position Oregon as an industry leader and is a model for communities and industries across the state to forge partnerships that deliver sustainable economic and environmental benefits for all of Oregon."
Founded in 1944 and headquartered in Clackamas, Oregon, OIW is a specialized fabrication and manufacturing company that produces components for the U.S. and foreign governments, as well as dams, bridges, and other civil engineering and commercial projects. The company employs more than 400 and has additional manufacturing facilities in Vancouver, Wash.
OIW signed an exclusive technology transfer agreement in February 2006 with a well-known European manufacturer of rail vehicles, Skoda s.r.o., from the Czech Republic. In October 2006, the OIW-Skoda team submitted a successful proposal to the City of Portland Request for Proposal (RFP) to manufacture one prototype vehicle for the City of Portland, a prototype to be manufactured in the US and fully compliant with the Buy-America Act. In November 2006, the City announced that OIW was selected as the winner of the competitive RFP process. Earlier this month, OIW received the audit compliance papers indicating the OIW-Skoda team successfully completed both the Cost and Buy-America Pre-Award Audits performed by TriMet. The City issued a formal Notice to Award Contract to OIW on January 9, 2007.
"We at Oregon Iron Works, Inc. are extremely pleased and excited about
becoming the first modern domestic streetcar manufacturer in the United
States," said Brown, "especially because we believe this is a growing market and will help showcase the Portland region as the center of excellence for
the streetcar industry."
Transportation Commissioner Sam Adams, who also serves on the Portland Streetcar Board, is excited that this project will create new manufacturing jobs and develop new domestic prototype technology here in Oregon, as
opposed to the trend of manufacturing jobs being exported overseas. "We can all be proud of our congressional representatives for their support in
creating smart transportation options for Portland and the nation. We are
growing a streetcar cluster here in Oregon, making Portland the streetcar
capital of the United States."