New Texas power plant
Houston-based NRG Energy opened a 456 MW power plant in
May 2026 — the fi rst new facility for the company in ten years.
The plant was funded through the Texas
Energy Fund, a joint state legislation and
voter-approved addition to the state consti-
tution, as a way to improve grid reliability.
Located in Houston, the Wharton Generating
Station can power hundreds of thousands of
Texas homes during high-demand times with its power genera-
tion units fueled by natural gas.
Automotive leather plant to open in Alabama
The fi rst U.S. plant for Italian manufacturer Vulcafl ex S.p.A.
will be in Auburn, Ala., and will create 130
jobs.
Vulcafl ex
manufactures
synthetic
leather for the automotive industry. “The
North American market is of great impor-
tance to our company,” said Roberto Bozzi,
Vulcafl ex’s CEO. “The combination of our
unique Italian design and local production in the U.S. will allow
us to grow our market alongside globally known automotive
manufacturers with assembly plants in North America.”
A grand opening near Jacksonville, Fla.
IKO Industries celebrated its 75th anniversary with the open-
ing June 17 of a new 300,000-square-foot facility in Clay County,
Fla. The Canadian company manufactures asphalt shingles and
related roofi ng products for residential and
commercial construction. The new plant
brings 100 jobs to the area and has space for
future expansion. This is the fi rst IKO facil-
ity in Florida, but the company operates 35
plants globally.
Long-running dairy plant closing
The dairy capital of Vermont lost a long-time dairy process-
ing facility with the closure of the St. Albans
creamery and milk processing plant by Dairy
Farmers of America as more dairy produc-
tion sites shutter across the state. Operations
for producing cream and condensed and
powdered milk ceased in August, with 80
employees aff ected. While the company
released a statement saying that the plant will be “idling,” there
is no indication that the processing plant will reopen.
North Carolina bedding plant closes
A bedding manufacturer in Monroe, N.C. closed its doors
on Aug. 14, aff ecting more than a hundred
employees. Downlite International produces
down, synthetic, and feather mattress pads
and pillows. The company has not com-
mented on the reason for the closure, but
the Downlite home and hospitality divisions
were sold earlier in the year. A WARN statement about the clo-
sure was issued in June. — Kristine Weller
EA
Plant Happenings
16 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | SEPTEMBER 2026