Expansion begins
Morgan AM&T breaks ground on huge addition

Employees Ron Robinson (foreground) and Brian Merry from Concrete Man of Roulette work on the foundation of the addition at Morgan AM&T in Coudersport. Kessel Construction of Bradford is the general contractor for a project that will add 18,000 square feet to the plant.

Ground has been broken for an 18,000-square-foot addition at the Morgan AM&T plant east of Coudersport.

Work commenced just after the employees' union, by a narrow margin, ratified a new three-year labor agreement. Vote on the pact was 111-107 in favor.

It's not yet known how many new jobs will be created by the expansion. That's because Morgan AM&T - the former Pure Carbon plant on the north side of Rt. 6 - is in transition.

Even with the phase-out of Morgan's traditional carbon product line, with some of the carbon manufacturing work exported to Mexico, the Coudersport plant is seen as a valuable component of parent company Morgan Crucible's operations.

Morgan, based in England, recently acquired Aceram, a Canadian company that's a leader in armor technology, as part of its expansion into the body armor business.

Expansion of the Morgan AM&T factory, east of Coudersport, commenced shortly after the employees' union approved a new three-year labor agreement.

Morgan AM&T in Coudersport produces body, vehicle and aircraft armor for military, foreign and private sector clients.

Last October, a $1 million federal grant was secured to help Morgan AM&T add jobs in both St. Marys and Coudersport, tied to the firm's production of modern selfsintered silicon carbide body armor for the U.S. military.

Ceramic components produced locally are integrated with composite backings by armor companies who insert the plates into kevlar vests. The items are used by U.S. and British forces. With the federal grant, Morgan can manufacture a product with better durability.