Pullman Gets Big Business Boost Schweitzer Labs Will Add 90 Jobs To Its Existing Work Force Of 435

Pullman-based Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. (SEL) announced Thursday it will add 90 new employees.

The company, which designs and makes protective relays for electric power systems, now employs 435.

SEL is advertising for 50 positions and expects to post 40 more as soon as possible, said Ed Schweitzer, founder and president.

Pullman Mayor Mitch Chandler said the news from Pullman’s largest private employer is a big boost.

“We’re delighted,” he said. “Any time you add a new job it adds a lot of economic growth to our community.”

SEL’s new jobs range from assemblers and sales positions to software, power and field application engineers. “They are all across the board,” said spokeswoman Susan Fagan.

The company may need to add another 30 positions, in addition to the initial 90, by mid-year. “It’s a sign of growth,” Fagan said. “That’s Schweitzer’s story.”

In 1999, Schweitzer had $73 million in sales, up significantly from $45 million in 1998.

The company’s relays identify and respond to problems in power systems to minimize power outages and damage that results from abnormal conditions and electrical faults. “We work hard to lead the industry in reliability and quality,” Schweitzer said.

The company owns 39 acres in the Port of Whitman County’s industrial park and plans to finish building a 65,000-squarefoot manufacturing plant there in April. The fifth building in the compound will increase operating space by 70 percent. The company, which started with a single employee in 1982, now does business in more than 50 countries.