Four Chambers of Commerce Gather to Welcome New Multinational Railcar Manufacturer to Region
United Transit Systems (UTS) via BizWire
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Four Chambers of Commerce Gather to Welcome New Multinational Railcar Manufacturer to Region; Business Leaders Back Revival by UTS of Rail Car Building Legacy in Philadelphia Region
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PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2004--Leaders from the
region's four major chambers of commerce welcomed the arrival of
United Transit Systems (UTS), to Greater Philadelphia. The gathering
was hosted by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce with the
participation of the African American Chamber of Commerce,
Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Asian American Chamber
of Commerce.
UTS, established by Rotem USA Corporation of South Korea and
Japan's Sojitz Corporation of America (SCA), will open its North
American corporate headquarters and production facility later this
year at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center. UTS's facility will
assemble railcars for shipment nationally and internationally, thus
helping to reanimate an industry once prominent in Philadelphia as
well as to re-establish the region as a corporate headquarters. The
UTS consortium has over 90 years combined experience in building and
financing rail cars for transit systems worldwide. A recent study by
Econsult estimated that the positive economic impact of UTS's move to
the region could be $250 million.
The four chambers of commerce represent a diverse workforce of
thousands of companies in southeastern Pennsylvania. Present at the
presentation were Dong-Hyun Choi, Rotem USA Corporation, and Hats
Kageyama, Sojitz Corporation of America, representing UTS; former
Governor Mark Schweiker, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; A.
Bruce Crawley, Anthony Fullard, and Jacqueline Hill of the African
American Chamber of Commerce of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and
Delaware; Benjamin Ramos, Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce;
and Josephine Wang, Asian American Chamber of Commerce.
GPCC head Mark Schweiker is pleased that UTS has chosen to select
Greater Philadelphia. "We welcome United Transit Systems to Greater
Philadelphia to continue the tradition of rail car production. We
expect that they will contribute much to the region's economy for
years to come."
UTS has leased Building 603 at the Naval Business Center for its
rail car assembly, fit-out, and testing facility. Greater Philadelphia
has a great rail car history: Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company
made trains there known around the world for both their superior
engineering and style during the period from 1930 through the 1980s.
(Even Philippe Paul Cret, designer of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
and Rittenhouse Square, created a rail car design for the Budd Co.)
UTS also will make Philadelphia its U.S. administrative
headquarters.
"For us, UTS's commitment to job creation and diversity - in both
employment and procurement - is especially appealing," said Crawley.
"This is a world-class company with inclusive, world-class values."
A majority partner in UTS is Rotem USA Corporation, a South Korean
manufacturer with over 40 years' industry experience. Its most recent
joint venture with Mitsubishi Electric delivered rail cars for Hong
Kong's Mass Transit Railway Corporation, for which it earned a bonus
for completing the project on budget and ahead of schedule as well as
for satisfying MTR's stringent quality standards.
UTS's project manager, SCA, a concern recently created through the
merger of Nissho Iwai American Corporation and Nichimen America, Inc.,
has long experience with U.S. companies, including an 18-year
relationship with Kawasaki Co., New York City's MTA, and Boeing
Commercial Aircraft.
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