Railroad spur helps save local manufacturer
By Anne Marie Kyzer annemariek@thetruecitizen.com

Stefano Rosellini, with scissors, is joined by, from left, DCA representative David Shellhorse, Waynesboro Mayor George DeLoach, FIAMM plant manager Chuck Beck, Wendy Bibb of the Department of Economic Development and Burke County Development Authority executive director Jerry Long for the ribbon cutting at the rail spur.

An extension to the rail system may have helped keep a local manufacturer in Waynesboro.

Stefano Rosellini, president of FIAMM Technologies Inc., said at a dedication ceremony last Thursday that the company may have been forced to consider relocation had it not been for the rail spur that now runs adjacent to their facility.

FIAMM officials were joined by local and state development leaders, Norfolk Southern representatives and others as they celebrated the completion of the rail spur construction and what it means for the company.

The rail spur was recently constructed to allow the company to receive shipments of materials by rail as opposed to more expensive trucking options.

According to Rosellini, the company had been hit hard in 2005 by threats from low-cost manufacturers overseas and the rising cost of gas, transportation and supplies.

"Our business had shrunk substantially over the last few years, and we had to find a new way to compete again," he said. "It was a very challenging time, and I was extremely concerned that we would have to shut the plant down for lack of competitiveness and relocate operations in a low-cost country."

Rosellini went on to say, however, that local authorities jumped behind his idea for a public rail spur to the plant, which has cut costs substantially.

The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) provided a $254,550 grant to help pay for construction. The company invested more than $2 million itself.

FIAMM can now bring in its primary input, lead shipped from Canadian mines, in rail cars, which hold four times what a large truck can carry. Rosellini estimates initial savings of about $150,000 per year.

The rail extension and several other initiatives have helped FIAMM reposition itself in the global marketplace.

"Our business is expanding, and even in the midst of a challenging economical environment, we are hiring and adding production shifts," Rosellini said. "Our major challenge now is in finding the right talent needed to keep operations going."