Redmond’s BASX Solutions charts future growth, breaks ground on welding shop, set to open in a year

(Update: Adding video, comments from BASX Solutions)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- BASX Solutions, which has quickly grown to become Redmond's largest private employer and one of the biggest in Central Oregon, held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for a new 38,000-square-foot welding shop that it expects to open by this time next year.

BASX Director of Operations Jeff Kaufman told us Wednesday, "It's going on the north end of the campus, and it's going to be as wide as the current building is."

BASX Solutions is a high-efficiency HVAC manufacturing company that opened in south Redmond in 2014. Since then, they have expanded their current building to three times its original size, opening several new sections of its Central Oregon headquarters due to rapid growth.

Kaufman explained why now is the time for the welding shop expansion: "It's going to create a footprint that allows us to move all of our weld operations into a single format -- something we can bring in raw material and bring out finished welded assemblies."

Currently, BASX has 50 to 60 welders on the job. With the new shop expansion, they're looking to double that number.

"This is just another moment in our history that allows us to look back and go, 'Wow, look at what we've done!'" Kaufman said excitedly. "We've become a great employer for the Central Oregon area."

Welders first starting out can earn anywhere from $18 to $28 an hour working at BASX.

Current employees are excited about the expansion, beyond just the increase in work space.

"We're going to have a lot of new equipment, a lot of new tools," Senior Supervisor of Welding Justin Dillon said. "New building, better building, better air quality. It'll be a better work environment for them to be welding in."

In addition to the new state-of-the-art welding shop opening in a year, BASX also told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday about a new 72,000-square-foot space in north Redmond that will serve as the company's future warehouse for supplies. BASX expects to begin moving into that building on Sept. 1.

BASX Solutions, with over 500 employees, jumped into the Top 10 of Central Oregon's largest private employers this year after adding about 200 workers, according to the annual listings by Economic Development for Central Oregon.