APTA President Addresses Stadler Groundbreaking

From left: Lauren Cochran, head of sales, Stadler U.S.; Stefan Baer, COO, Stadler U.S.; Martin Ritter, CEO, Stadler U.S.; Chris Conradi, CFO, Stadler U.S.; Peter Spuhler, chair of the board, Stadler; Utah Governor Spencer Cox; Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson; Utah Senator Stuart Adams; Paul P. Skoutelas; Josh Jensen, principal civil and structural engineer, Silver Peak Engineering; Sheldon Killpack, managing partner, OneWest Construction; Lucy Andre, chief of staff & CEO of signaling, North America, Stadler U.S.; Carlton Christensen, chair of the Utah Transit Authority Board of Trustees.

APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas, along with state and local elected officials, spoke at a groundbreaking ceremony for Stadler’s manufacturing facility expansion in Salt Lake City, UT, Oct. 25.

With the expansion, Stadler will be adding 220,000 square feet of manufacturing space and providing up to 500 additional jobs in Salt Lake City.

The event was linked with the ceremonial signing for the Utah Transit Authority’s $129 million contract to add 20 Stadler railcars to its TRAX fleet.

Calling it a great day, not just for Stadler and UTA, but also for the local community and the U.S. economy, Skoutelas noted that he attended the grand opening of the current facility in May 2019, “so I’m seeing the birth of the next generation of infrastructure and new workers.”

Since the 2019 groundbreaking, Skoutelas said, “Stadler has become a vital partner to our rail systems, producing bi-level electric trains for Caltrans; diesel-electric FLIRTS for the San Bernardino County rail lines; and GTW diesel-electric, articulated cars for San Francisco’s BART system.”

Skoutelas said the new Stadler facility is “far more than a facility for manufacturing rail units; it is an investment in meeting zero-emission standards; in expanding access to opportunities for those without mobility options; in advancing greater safety and security for riders and residents; and in supporting Main Street businesses, American jobs, and the national economy.”