Modine expands Va. footprint, will invest $7M in Rockbridge County

Modine Manufacturing Co. will invest $7 million to convert its Rockbridge County warehouse into a manufacturing plant that will produce data center cooling solutions, creating 60 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.

Headquartered in Wisconsin, Modine specializes in building thermal management systems and components and saw $2 billion in revenue last year. Modine has had a manufacturing facility since 1963 in Buena Vista, where it employs more than 260 people. The new operation will be at Modine’s former warehouse at 360 Collierstown Road.

“Virginia boasts the largest data center market in the country, and this growing industry requires state-of-the-art cooling systems manufactured by leaders like Modine,” Northam said in a statement. “We are grateful that this longtime Virginia employer has decided to deepen its roots in our commonwealth, creating 21st century jobs and producing a high-demand, world-class product right here in the Shenandoah Valley.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) worked with Rockbridge County, the Shenandoah Valley Partnership and the Port of Virginia to secure the project for Virginia, which competed with several other states. Northam approved a $194,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist the county with the project. VEDP’s Virginia Talent Accelerator Program will assist Modine in workforce training and recruitment at no cost to the company.

“For 58 years, we have partnered with Rockbridge County to become a leading supplier of HVAC solutions for a variety of markets and end users, and this investment signals a continued commitment to that mission,” Modine CEO Neil Brinker said in a statement. “This site was selected as a result of the capabilities of the workforce, both hourly and salaried, and our confidence in their ability to quickly and safely begin producing high-quality HVAC solutions for our data center customers. We are excited to work with the commonwealth of Virginia and Rockbridge County to begin hiring and equipping these new employees to meet the needs of our customers.”