Thermo King poised to move to Warner Truck Center in West Valley City

West Valley City • Thermo King Intermountain is poised to relocate to the Warner Truck Center, a move that will bring 55 jobs to this west-side community.

The company will get a little help in the move. The West Valley City Council, sitting as the Redevelopment Agency board, voted 7-0 earlier this week to give $125,000 to Thermo King to offset some of its costs.

The business — which services and sells parts for temperature control systems for truck bodies, trailers, buses, shipboard containers and rail cars — is now located at 1038 S. 300 West in Salt Lake City. Once all the details are finalized, Thermo King plans to build a $6 million, 35,000-square foot facility on 9½ acres at the center.

Warner Truck Center, which covers about 100 acres near 2100 South and 5600 West, is home to transportation-related businesses that sell, maintain, repair and customize heavy- and light-duty vehicles. Companies there include Warner Fleet Services and Warner Body & Paint, Freightliner, Wabash of Utah, Western Star of Utah, TruckPro Leasing & Finance, Utah Tank & Trailer, Sprinter Sales, N.E.W.S. (National Environmental Waste Systems), Cascadia Cafe, and Cummins Rocky Mountain.

Thermo King will provide a cooling and heating system speciality to the mix.

"We're really excited about moving out there," company president Tim Pugh said. "It'll be great to be so close to our customers."

Keith Morey, West Valley City business development manager, said the company's presence will help "create a unique truck destination that will draw traffic to West Valley City from around the country."

Morey noted in a city report that Warner is using technology that allows it to monitor the status and repair needs of trucks as they travel around the country and notify them of potential problems before they surface.

"Warner can then schedule to have parts available so the trucks can schedule a West Valley stop and get service done on the tractor, trailer, and with the addition of Thermo King, their refrigeration system," Morey wrote.

In addition to jobs, Thermo King is expected to bring in $29,000 in property tax and $75,000 in sales tax annually to West Valley.

Thermo King's moving costs are estimated at $150,000. The company will get $75,000 of the RDA money after a building permit has been issued and construction is underway. The rest of the money, $50,000, will be given the following year after a business license is issued and final occupancy granted.

pmanson@sltrib.com

Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC