MANSFIELD — Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) revisited the Ideal Electric facility on East First Street on Friday.
Brown, a Mansfield native, said he hadn’t been to the plant since the new owner, Jim Petersen, bought the business in 2017. Previously owned by Hyundai Heavy Industries, the Ideal Electric Company specializes in electric motors and generators for military equipment, oil platforms and power supplies.
“I hope Ideal continues to grow as it has under American leadership,” Brown said. “Ideal is a fantastic supporter of American-made steel from Cleveland-Cliffs and they’re doing some great work to advance our state and our nation’s ability to compete in the global economy.”
Brown introduced the Build America, Buy America Act in 2017, which requires that federally funded infrastructure projects use only iron, steel and construction materials produced in the United States.
Petersen, who is also president of the Ideal Electric Company, said his goal is to produce 100% made-in-America products only using domestic inputs.
Ideal is the nation’s last 100% privately-held, family-owned, vertically integrated original equipment manufacturer of a full range of specialty electric machinery.
The company was founded in Mansfield in 1903 and currently employees about 65 people at its Mansfield facility. Its generators supported American military operations in both world wars.
Petersen said he bought Ideal Electric largely because of the Mansfield community.
“I live in Texas, so I knew if the business was going to grow, it was going to have to depend on the people here,” he said.
“Some of our current employees are second- or third-generation Ideal workers, and others have been here just a few months, but they all play a vital part in our business and we were happy to share their work with Senator Brown today.”
Ideal Electric exports products around the globe
Brown talked with multiple employees in the facility on the factory floor and in a roundtable discussion after the tour.
Ideal vice president Nic Phillips said the business has improved its service and maintenance work under Petersen’s ownership to support new models and legacy equipment.
“That’s a big part of our business because you want to make sure the products last a lifetime, so even the models that aren’t in production anymore, we can repair and upgrade those machines,” he said.
Ideal has also made strides in low-carbon power generation and clean electricity.
“We’ve made historic investments in American infrastructure to ensure we’re building back our industrial manufacturing sector,” Brown said.
“I always talk about the dignity of work — hard work paying off no matter what you do — and this is one step to ensure we’re supporting American jobs and keeping up with the global economy.”
