Oregon Iron Works adds to projects with new D.C. contract
United Streetcar of Clackamas, the first U.S. manufacturer of modern streetcars in nearly 60 years, will build two vehicles for the U.S. capital.
Oregon Iron Works received a notice last week to proceed with production for the District of Columbia’s H Street/Benning Road line, which is slated to open in 2013.
“We eagerly anticipate the day our American-made streetcars will be on the streets of the District of Columbia,” said Chandra Brown, vice president of Oregon Iron Works and president of United Streetcar. “As a small business that employs hundreds of skilled Oregonian, we are delighted to be selected to build these locally built modern streetcars to such a prominent and distinct city as our nation’s capital.”
Oregon Iron Works will add the two cars to its growing number of contracts, for a total of 15 cars, which are being built for Portland, Tucson and now Washington, D.C.
Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley said the latest contract will create much-needed jobs in Clackamas County.
“This announcement is great news for Oregon manufacturing,” Merkley said. “There’s no doubt: Oregon Iron Works makes the best streetcars in the world ... I can’t wait to take a trip on the Oregon-made streetcars in our nation’s capital.”
Oregon Iron Works entered the streetcar market in 2005 and has established a supply chain of more than 200 vendors in 20 states across the nation.
“It’s amazing to think that just seven years ago there were no streetcars made in the USA,” said U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, a Southern Oregon Democrat. “I am proud that in the last long-term transportation bill, I got a $4 million earmark, which led to the rebirth of the American-made streetcar. Oregon Iron Works-United Streetcar competitively bid for the contract to build the first prototype streetcar for Portland. The car is now the model for this project in Washington, D.C. This industry is creating family-wage jobs for American workers, and is helping to revitalize the U.S. manufacturing industry across the United States.”
Economists have shown that one manufacturing job supports 2 1/2 jobs in other sectors.
“I applaud United Streetcar for their hard work and success in securing an order from the District of Columbia for their newly built H Street Corridor streetcar line,” said U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, a Canby Democrat who represents Clackamas County and the region. “Through their innovation, ingenuity and competitiveness, United Streetcar has quickly become the American powerhouse in modern streetcar manufacturing and urban transit. Their successful bid for the D.C. streetcar system means we will have streetcars produced domestically, by U.S. workers in Oregon, operating in our nation’s capital. This achievement serves as an example of the success that is possible when we make smart investments in manufacturing and job creation here at home.”
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