OLEAN — In a voluminous building just inside Paul Clark Drive is a company that is known world-wide, that has regional, national and international clients, and is looking to add 100 employees to its workforce by the end of the year.

Its immense products are adroitly maneuvered around Olean’s roundabouts and low-hanging bridges, with the goods they are transporting en route to public and private enterprises across the Northeast.

No, it’s not that company from the past that you may be thinking of — it’s the newest major manufacturer in Olean, Cimolai-HY, located on the grounds and buildings of the former Clark Brothers/Dresser-Rand/Siemens Energy property, and continuing Olean’s superb and century-old manufacturing legacy.

Among the company’s clients are the New York state Department of Transportation and New Jersey Transit, Amtrak and other construction companies building bridges, with a recently completed project of 135-foot girders for a new Genesee River bridge in Allegany County.

But perhaps the best known and most impactful “local work” for Cimolai-HY was its contribution to the steel girders used on the canopy roof of the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium.

“We were so proud of getting that contract, and not just for the company, but for our workforce,” Related Companies’ (joint venture partner with Cimolai-HY) John Kelly said. “Manufacturing is in Olean’s DNA, and that’s just one of the factors that made coming here so attractive.”

If “Come Home/Stay Home” captures the spirit of Olean Business Development Corporation’s campaign to draw people back to the area, Cimolai-HY is the model for a paraphrase of that slogan — “Come Here/Stay Here.”

And that’s exactly what Cimolai-HY intends to do.

“Several of our newer employees have relocated here and enjoy the area,” Carolyn Carbonneau, the site general manager, said. “Right now, we have 82 employees, with about 50 of those working on the manufacturing floor, but we need to add about 100 additional workers by the end of the year based on our current backlog.”

Carbonneau said Cimolai-HY works closely with SUNY Jamestown Community College to create specific welding and machining programs to train workers for their highly technical welding needs and is making visits to area high schools to make students aware of the career growth opportunities at the company.

The company, which specializes in steel fabrication and steel products, is known as an expert in providing materials for bridges and large structures, such as stadiums and high-rise buildings. Cimolai is recognized worldwide as a leading designer and fabricator of structural steel.

“At first, the initial orders we had for Olean were delayed, which slowed our plans just a bit,” Kelly said. “But those delays are gone, and we are filling those orders and are actively bidding on other projects. We have been doing a lot of bridge work lately, and customers are happy to see another competitor in the mix.”

The facility itself yields a unique competitive advantage for Cimolai-HY in that they can serve as a “one stop shop” converting raw materials to a variety of finished structural steel components, all under one roof. Most of its competitors need to ship these extra-large components in and out of multiple facilities to achieve the same level of completeness that Cimolai-HY does in one location. This competitive advantage, and the expertise and reputation of Cimolai globally, is helping drive growth here from its only U.S. factory spurring the need for more workers, particularly welders and fitters.

“The first thing we look for in a potential employee is having a positive, team-oriented mindset,” Carbonneau said. “We can provide education and training, especially with individuals with this passionate approach. We are building a culture here, and attitude is a key part of the culture.”

And while Cimolai cultivates a positive culture, it continues a legacy — a legacy of manufacturing on the same property in Olean that dates back more than a century.

For a video inside Cimolai-HY as part of the Come Home/Stay Home video series, to youtu.be/rN-Q88YIPpQ.