Citing a productive workforce, low transportation costs, and the commitment of local and state officials, Mercury MerCruiser plans to expand operations in Stillwater instead of beefing up other domestic or offshore operations in China and Mexico.

“MerCruiser has the support of many state and local partners,” says Rick Estus, MerCruiser plant manager. “The City of Stillwater offered incentives on power costs; the Oklahoma Department of Commerce provided competitive wage-based incentives; and Forward Stillwater, our local economic development partnership, assisted our management team in working with city and state officials. The support has been unmatched.”

Estus also cited its partnership with Meridian Technology Center to provide job training and continuing education for the company’s die cast operators and machinists as a crucial benefit.

The planned $13.5 million expansion, which will add 21,000 square feet to Mercury MerCruiser’s northeast Stillwater plant, could add up to 100 jobs when complete. The two-phase project will house a die casting operation and associated equipment.

The new job positions involve machinists and die cast operators. MerCruiser, a division of Mercury Marine that manufacturers stern drive marine engines, did not disclose wage information.

Phase one of the expansion project, which adds about 15 jobs and two new machines, involves development of a new semi-solid casting process that Mercury owns. This $5.5 million phase should be completed in late 2006.

Phase two will bring five other machines, each weighing from 1,600 to 2,500 tons, to create aluminum parts with the company’s patented Mercosil alloy. This phase will cost about $8 million.

Mercury Marine, a manufacturer of marine propulsion systems, first opened its Stillwater plant in 1973. With a staff of 1,050, the company represents the city’s largest private employer. It is a subsidiary of Brunswick, an Illinois-based manufacturer of marine, fitness, bowling, and billiards products in the United States and around the world.

Besides their own products, the Stillwater plant also does work for others, including Harley Davidson, General Motors, and Polaris. Phase two of the expansion will progress as demand warrants.