EkoStinger, 76West winner, opens manufacturing facility at Elmira Corning Regional Airport

HORSEHEADS, N.Y. — Rochester–based EkoStinger has opened a new manufacturing plant at the Elmira Corning Regional Airport in Horseheads.

EkoStinger captured the $1 million grand prize winner of the 2018 76West clean-energy competition, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release. The firm manufactures under-trailer aerodynamic devices for tractor trailers that “reduce emissions and save fuel.”

Since winning the competition last September, EkoStinger signed a lease for the new 8,000-square-foot facility at Elmira Corning Regional Airport, purchased new equipment from local vendors, and hired six new employees.

The new plant will manufacture devices for tractor trailers that “reduce emissions and increase fuel efficiency,” Cuomo’s office said.

Each device installed reduces emissions by 4.9 metric tons per year, “the equivalent of taking one car off the road.” The transportation sector is one of the “largest producers” of energy related greenhouse-gas emissions in New York, per the release.

The new facility, which will enable it to manufacture additional product for distribution, is in addition to its building in Rochester, where the company employs 18 workers. The new facility is expected to increase production for EkoStinger from 2,000 to 8,000 units a year, allowing the firm to expand its customer base, which currently includes Raymour & Flanigan, Bridgestone Corp., Nestle, Ryder, Penske, and Hyundai.

“We thank Gov. Cuomo for creating the 76West Competition and highlighting the importance of emerging clean-energy companies,” Parr Wiegel, co-founder and CEO of EkoStinger, said in the release. “The overall experience of 76West has made us a better company and we look forward to being in the Southern Tier.”

Launched by Cuomo in 2016, the 76West clean-energy competition is “one of the largest competitions in the country that focuses on supporting and growing clean energy businesses and economic development,” Cuomo’s office contends.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com