| It’s official: McQuay lands Freedom Tower contract |
By: By Jim Hammerand
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Posted: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 12:11 am
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jhammerand@faribault.com
FARIBAULT — When the Freedom Tower in New York City opens its doors to the public in 2012, the air inside the building will be cooled by units manufactured in Faribault.
McQuay International officials announced Tuesday that the Faribault plant will build the air-conditioning systems for the tower, known officially as 1 World Trade Center. The Freedom Tower will be the centerpiece in a complex that will replace the Twin Towers and other buildings destroyed in the September 11 terrorist attacks.
“The contract is the culmination of a two-year effort of innovation, teamwork and dedication. McQuay is proud to be associated with one of the most important buildings of the early 21st Century,” McQuay Americas Chief Operation Officer Eric Roberts said in a written statement to the Daily News on Tuesday.
The McQuay plant of 400 employees makes it the fourth-largest employer in Faribault.
Faribault’s Community Development Director Peter Waldock said while the city won’t reap any tangible gains from McQuay’s contract, “It strengthens their financial position … which is good for their longevity in Faribault.”
Business retention, Waldock added, is “something that we’re interested in but not something that we have a lot of control over.”
The deal had been in the works for months, but, at the request of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, McQuay would not confirm the contract until now, company officials said.
“A project of this scope and this profile I think understandably, if you look at the history of this project, they’re very cautious about that,” said Chris Sackrison, McQuay senior marketing communications manager, who is based out of Plymouth, Minn.
The contract is one of three that McQuay has applied for, Sackrison said, adding that neither of the remaining contracts has been finalized.
McQuay engineers in Plymouth custom-designed the $15 million heating, ventilation and air conditioning system for high efficiency, zero ozone depletion and quiet operation, and workers in Faribault built at least two prototypes. The self-contained units on each floor can be operated individually and take up less space than chilled-water piping systems.
Established in 1872, McQuay is the second largest HVAC and refrigeration company in the world and a subsidiary of Japan-based Daikin Industries, which specializes in air conditioning, refrigeration, oil hydraulic, chemical and defense systems.
- Staff writer Jim Hammerand may be reached at 333-3128.
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