E-ONE Starts $23.5 Million Expansion

With a special event and a ceremonial groundbreaking by company executives, local firefighters, dignitaries and members of its dealer network, E-ONE began the $23.5 million expansion of its aerial manufacturing campus. This 80,000-sq.-ft. expansion will help shorten lead times for E-ONE's products and boost the company's airborne production capacity by about 35 percent.

“This is a big day for E-ONE and for all the customers we serve,” said Mike Virnig, President, Specialty Vehicles segment at Terex Corporation. “We are excited to break ground on this expansion to our aerial campus which is expected to increase production by approximately 35 percent. This investment reflects our unwavering commitment to the firefighting industry.”

The initiative demonstrates E-ONE's enduring dedication to Ocala, FL, and its function in aiding first responders around the country. E-ONE now employs 1,134 people and the project is anticipated to bring 100 new employment in Ocala.

Benefits of the expansion include:

• Expand manufacturing: To support ladder production and assembly activities, additional structures will be built in addition to the extension of the current assembly, fabrication and paint facilities.
• Expand and upgrade the paint facility: By doubling the size of paint operations, production throughput, quality, and overall efficiency will all be improved.
• Create a center of excellence for ladder construction: A facility specifically designed to manufacture ladders will solve present production issues and facilitate future capacity growth.
• Focused aerial body assembly and completion: To enable greater assembly capability, flexibility, and line rate output inside the aerial complex, build a new, focused facility.
• Reduce testing bottlenecks: By building a second test pit at the Ocala site, all E-ONE product lines will have better product flow and fewer single points of failure.

The current building will be expanded, a new paint facility will be built and a new four-bay test pit will be built. The project is anticipated to be finished by spring 2027. 

Along with Virnig, other speakers at the event included E-ONE Vice President/General Manager Gary Feldmann, Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano, Matt McCormick, CEO of Ocala's Metro Chamber and Executive Partnership and Carlos Aviles, Chief of the St. Augustine, FL, Fire Department, whose department had been in front-line service for over 30 years with E-ONE's first aerial, a 110-foot Stratosphere ladder truck built in 1981.