Economic Development News

Knorr Brake Corporation Breaks Ground at Westminster Tech Park

Knorr Brake Corporation broke ground on their new manufacturing facility in the Westminster Technology Park on Wednesday January 18th.  The new 236,000 square foot building will nearly double Knorr's current facility located along MD Rt. 140 east of Westminster.  The new facility could be ready for occupancy as soon as the late first quarter of 2013.

Knorr, which manufactures brake systems, entrance (door) assemblies and HVAC systems predominately for the rail and commuter industries, currently employs approximately 230 at their Westminster facility and plans to add 60 additional positions over several years to accommodate additional work load at the new location.

The 24-acre site located at the corner of Aurther Peck Drive and Independence Way will also allow for an additional future expansion of 150,000 square feet when needed.

The new $15 million building will be built in the Westminster Technology Park which is located on the north side of MD Rt. 97 near the Carroll County Regional Airport and adjacent to the West Branch Trade Center.

United States Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md) said that this "new, expanded facility in Carroll County will create 60 new jobs for Marylanders by 2018,”  and also is "welcome news for the millions of commuters across the nation who rely on safe and reliable mass transportation to get to their jobs."

Attending in addition to Cardin were U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md), Mayor Kevin Utz of Westminster, several members of the Westminster City Common Council, Carroll County Board of Commissioners, Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development, Carroll County Department of Economic Development and Carroll County Industrial Development Authority.  Also taking part in the ceremony were several Knorr Brake executives and nearly 100 employees.

-more about Knorr Brake-

Knorr Brake Corporation, a member of the Knorr-Bremse Group, is the innovative leader in the manufacture and supply of braking systems, passenger doors and climate-control equipment for all types of Mass Transit customers such as: METRO, Light Rail Vehicles, High-Speed Trains, Commuter Rail and Monorail Vehicles for the North America market.

The Mass Transit Rail Market in which Knorr Brake Corporation supplies equipment is performance driven; safety critical; and has the highest standards for product reliability. All of our brake systems, passenger doors and climate-control equipment offerings must be customized to meet the requirements of the different Transit Authorities based on their Technical Specifications. We depend on our greatest asset, our employees, to comply with the demands of the Mass Transit Rail Market.

Knorr Brake Corporation is headquartered in Westminster, Maryland, with Sales/Service facilities in Carmel, New York and Union City, California. Knorr Brake Corporation’s subsidiaries IFE North America LLC (passenger door systems) and Merak North America LLC (climate-control systems) are co-located at our Westminster, Maryland location.

Return to Main News Page