Jeff Jacobs, vice president of sales for Hughey and Phillips, said the move will allow the company to create eight new jobs immediately, and as many as 15 by the end of the year.
He said the company will produce lighting systems for tall towers, buildings, wind turbines and even amusement park rides.
The new jobs will likely be in fields such as engineering, sales and marketing. Jacobs said Sarica has about 23 employees while Hughey and Phillips has eight. He’s hoping Hughey and Phillips can triple the size of its workforce over the next few years.
Carrie Sinclair, media relations manager at Honeywell, said its employees who have worked in obstruction lighting will be assigned to other duties within the company. There will be no reduction in force, she said. Sinclair said about 660 employees work for Honeywell in Urbana, and the decision will allow the company to put more emphasis on other projects, including LED lighting and interior lighting for aircraft.
“It helps us focus on our core strengths and our current aerospace customers,” she said.
Jacobs said the company decided to sell its products under the Hughey and Phillips name because customers are already familiar with the company, which has previously sold products for about 70 years before disbanding.
He said the company’s service will not be disrupted by the transition.
Mike Morris, economic development officer for Champaign County, said the deal will help both companies in the long run while providing new jobs to the area.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.
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