Carwil, LLC broke ground on a five-acre site at the Winnemucca Airport Industrial Park last week, making it the first business to locate in the park. The metal fabrication and repair shop serves the mining industry.
Carwil's new shop will include 12,000 square feet of shop space and 1,200 square feet of office space, plus a second office building of 2,700 square feet. Additionally, Carwil plans to lease 2,500 square feet to Cast Resources, Inc., based in Canada.
Owners Scott and Kristin Carriere of Winnemucca founded Carwil in 1992 with two employees. The firm now employs 20. It will add another 10 employees after the move, says Kristin Carriere, adding, "If we can find them. It's hard to find qualified welders who can read blueprints."
The company designs and builds custom parts for the region's mines and mills.
The company's owners chose to move into the park due to the fire suppression systems, says Carriere, plus proximity to the airport. The builder is Michael Clay Corp., based in Winnemucca.
The 400-acre industrial park is being developed in phases, with 100 acres ready for occupants, says Bill Sims, coordinator at the Humboldt Development Authority. Laying the infrastructure for the industrial park took 15 years of community effort.
Efforts to fill the park will focus on targeting businesses that can take advantage of existing skills among the population of 16,000, says Sims. That includes machine shops and activities that support the mining industry, such as trucking companies.