By Ezra Mann of the Commercial Staff

August 2. 2008… Pine Bluff may receive a big boost in the number of job openings here if Stant Manufacturing is able to transfer operations from Waltham, Mass., Mark Smith, director of operations at Stant, said Friday.

A proposal has been made to move 100 to 120 jobs to the Pine Bluff plant located at 5300 Jefferson Parkway and a decision is expected in the next 10 days, Smith told a reporter.

Smith discussed the proposal Friday at a job fair conducted by the Jefferson County Manufacturing Council. The council sponsored the event for employees of Allied Tube & Conduit which will be closing in September.”

“Fortunately, we are in the midst of expanding and we’re very thankful for the council for putting on this fair,” Smith said. “We will be finalizing expansion plans in the next two to three weeks for anyone interested in employment.”

Stant’s plant in Waltham produces thermostats.

On July 1, H.I.G. Capital LLC, a global private equity firm in Miami, announced that its affiliate had acquired Stant Corp from Tomkin’s PLC. Stant is the parent company for Stant Manufacturing Inc., which has manufacturing and distribution centers in Pine Bluff. Transaction terms were not disclosed.

Mark Bradshaw, plant superintendent for the local Stant facility, which opened in 1981, told The Commercial July 1 the company has about 330 employees here manufacturing vehicle gas caps, a molding and stamping operation, plus a corporate distribution center.

Stant Corp. is an integrated manufacturer of engineered vapor and fluid control components sold to a diversified group of global industrial and automotive original equipment manufacturers and automotive aftermarket customers, a corporate spokesman said.