Hytrol adding 100 new jobs in Fort Smith

FORT SMITH -- Less than a year into its operations in the city, Hytrol is expanding its operations and adding jobs.

Hytrol, a world leader in material handling systems, announced Thursday it is expanding its operations to include production of a light-duty product line, said Phillip Poston, director of Fort Smith operations. The initiative will add 100 new jobs to its existing workforce of 250, according to a news release.

The announcement came about eight months after the Jonesboro manufacturer announced it had chosen to open its second production plant in Fort Smith, inside the former Whirlpool plant at 6500 Jenny Lind Road. The plant houses the company's parcel line, the release states.

Hytrol sells line equipment to shipping giants including FedEx, UPS and Amazon. They also furnish distribution centers for large retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods, Poston said.

"The expansion of Hytrol here in Fort Smith is, again, evidence of how fertile this region is with good employees," said Fort Smith Mayor George McGill.

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, who was at the plant Friday to tour the plant and talk about supply chain challenges with the workers, called the plant a "remarkable" startup.

The company's new product line is a smaller conveyor system used in temporary distribution centers. The product was conceived in response to some customers' lack of access to facilities because of permitting and supply chain challenges, Poston said.

Entry-level jobs at Hytrol start at $16 an hour and get $1 quarterly raises depending on where the pay caps out for the position, Poston said.

The company expects to fill the 100 added jobs by the end of 2021, the release states.

The new product adds to operations that increased from $720,000 when they began in March to $3.6 million in August, Poston said. He said revenue increased each month.

"If it has to be manufactured or delivered to your house, it's coming across a Hytrol conveyor at some point," Poston said.

Additionally, the company looks to promote from within and provide training for its workers, Poston said. He said this includes a leadership program provided to employees in supervisory positions.

"They pay well, they've got a wonderful environment out there to work in, they've got a super training program, and I think that the mentality that the corporate leadership has in trying to hire people for a career rather than just hiring someone for a job for a few weeks is noteworthy," said Womack.

Going forward, Poston said he and others are evaluating warehouse space in the area for clients who need space to store items. He said he "would be surprised" if they don't take advantage of this kind of opportunity.

Womack said Hytrol's location and expansion in Fort Smith is one of several positive steps for the region. He spoke well of the company's initiatives along with the announced location of a F-35 training center and fleet of F-35 and F-16 fighter jets at Ebbing Air National Guard Base -- a move estimated to bring about 825 new residents to the city.

Womack also spoke well of the area's transportation routes and the area's central location in the country.

"There's not a piece of the puzzle that the greater Fort Smith economy does not have, and we're leveraging all of those attributes to be able to bring companies, both from Arkansas and literally from around the world to come to the Fort Smith area," he said.