Alstom Grid, a French firm focusing on electrical transmission technology, has opened a new facility in Charleroi, Pennsylvania's Speers Industrial Park. The 25,000-square-foot plant will produce disconnect switches and employ 30 people.

"With this new facility, we can now deliver locally-manufactured disconnect switches to U.S. customers faster, and with stronger domestic support," said company President Henri Poupart-Lafarge. "Alstom Grid is proud to extend our presence in Charleroi, which is already home to our global competency center for the manufacture of dead tank circuit breakers. We are eager to share this new capability with the U.S., and we are committed to creating high-quality job opportunities in this community."

The facility will become part of Alstom's global Centers of Excellence for disconnect switch research and production. Other Centers of Excellence are located in Canada and Italy.