Radiant Power Corp. to expand Whitfield factory
WHITFIELD -- To get more elbow room to accommodate its growing aircraft power manufacturing operation, Radiant Power Corp. is adding 6,300 square feet to its Manatee County factory.
The expansion is the third by the Whitfield-headquartered company since 2012. Its 93 employees work in about 40,000 square feet in the Sarasota-Bradenton Commerce Center at 7135 16th St. E. Over the past few years, the company has added to its workforce several times, including 42 employees incentivized by economic development awards from Manatee County.
The latest space addition comes about a year after Radiant built a 1,800-square-foot mezzanine workspace to house its Federal Aviation Administration-certified repair station.
Anish Patel, Radiant's president, said the latest addition will give the company more room to spread its assembly operations as it builds its commercial and military aircraft business. Radiant makes emergency power systems, power distribution equipment, underwater locator beacons and other aircraft components. Sixty-five Radiant personnel work on the company's manufacturing floor.
"We're adding more square footage to get more elbow room," Patel said.
Radiant moved into the Sarasota-Bradenton Commerce Center in 2009, relocating from its former facility on Parkland Avenue in Sarasota. It has been a subsidiary of Hollywood-based Heico Corp.
since 1999.
Promised incentive money from the county and the state for employment growth since 2012 totals $42,000.
Karen Stewart, county economic development program manager, said Radiant has exceeded a job growth target for at least one of the two awards, adding 41 employees when 26 were required.
Those jobs pay at least an average of $51,220.
Its latest expansion does not come with any immediate plans to add more employees, Patel said.
The new floor space will be ready for production in about two months.
Radiant has a long-term lease through 2025 at its current location with building owner Benderson Development Corp.
Matt M. Johnson, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7027 or on Twitter @MattAtBradenton.
This story was originally published October 21, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Radiant Power Corp. to expand Whitfield factory ."