R/S-Godwin Truck Body Co. continues to expand its manufacturing footprint in Floyd County, Kentucky, with a planned investment of more than $17 million following the company’s addition of a new powder coating and primer operation.
Ryan TaylorThe fourth-generation, family-owned truck equipment manufacturer plans to invest about $17.28 million in an expansion involving land, buildings, and machinery, creating 65 full-time jobs.
Of particular interest to the finishing industry is the company’s recent expansion to 165,000 square feet to accommodate what R/S-Godwin describes as a new “state-of-the-art powder coat paint and primer facility.”
The investment shows how finishing capacity can become a key part of a broader manufacturing expansion, especially for a producer serving the heavy truck and equipment markets.
Powder Coating Part of Manufacturing Growth
The announcement does not specify the powder coating operation, including the pretreatment system, powder-application equipment, oven configuration, conveyor system, suppliers, or production capacity. However, it specifically identifies the powder coat paint and primer facility as the reason for the company’s recent expansion to 165,000 square feet.
The latest investment is intended to add production capacity by expanding the company’s land, buildings, and machinery.
R/S-Godwin is also in the early stages of acquiring more than seven adjacent acres to support future manufacturing growth.
The expansion is expected to create skilled manufacturing positions in welding, fabrication, CNC plasma cutting, CNC press brake operation, material handling and other areas.
“The Godwin Group is proud to be partnered with the state of Kentucky, Floyd County, and surrounding areas to help R/S-Godwin continue to grow,” company CEO Ryan Taylor said in announcing the project. “We are proud that this will also see those citizens of this area prosper as well.”
From Kentucky Job Shop to National Truck Equipment Business
The expansion represents another chapter in a manufacturing operation with roots stretching back nearly six decades.
R/S-Godwin began in 1968 as a small job shop serving Eastern Kentucky’s coal industry. At the time, its marketing territory covered only a few hundred miles, and the company primarily focused on highway truck products. However, it also manufactured equipment for off-highway applications when local demand required it.
The company diversified into additional dump body markets in 1977.
In 2002, R/S-Godwin was acquired by the North Carolina-based Godwin Group, helping expand its presence in the truck equipment industry. As demand increased, the company eventually removed trailers from its product lineup to focus more closely on dump body manufacturing.
Today, R/S-Godwin is part of the Godwin Group, which the company describes as one of the nation’s largest family-owned trucking equipment manufacturers.
Adding the powder coating operation represents another investment in that manufacturing base.
For manufacturers of truck bodies and other large fabricated metal products, coating is a significant stage of production because it comes toward the end of a manufacturing sequence that may include cutting, forming, welding, and fabrication. Adding finishing capabilities to an expanded manufacturing footprint can therefore play a significant role in the overall plant production strategy.
The release, however, does not indicate whether powder coating was previously performed internally or externally, so it does not specify how much the new system changes R/S-Godwin’s previous finishing process.
$17.28 Million Investment
Kentucky officials are supporting the latest expansion through economic-development incentives tied to the company’s investment and employment commitments.
The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved a 15-year incentive agreement under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $2.1 million in tax incentives based on the $17.28 million investment and the creation and maintenance of 65 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs over the 15-year agreement.
The jobs are expected to pay an average hourly wage of $35.84 including benefits, according to the announcement.
The authority also approved the company for as much as $150,000 in incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act. The program allows qualifying companies to recover Kentucky sales and use taxes on certain construction costs, building fixtures and eligible equipment.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the expansion reflects the importance of family-owned manufacturers continuing to reinvest in the state.
“Our state was built on small, family-owned businesses choosing to reinvest and grow here, and I want to thank the leadership of R/S-Godwin Truck Body Co. for their commitment to our commonwealth and our people,” Beshear said.
