EMCO Industries Brings Automated Heavy-Duty Plant Online, Names Wayne Sornberger to Lead Sales

Oklahoma manufacturer, EMCO, dedicates its new 30,000-square-foot facility exclusively to heavy-duty trailer springs and adds a 35-year industry veteran to serve OEMs seeking domestic supply and predictable lead times.

TULSA, Okla., Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- EMCO Industries, a leading manufacturer of leaf springs for trailers, agricultural equipment, recreational vehicles and specialty vehicles, announced that its new 30,000-square-foot automated manufacturing facility in Claremore, Oklahoma, is online and in production. The plant is dedicated exclusively to the heavy-duty trailer market. The company also announced the appointment of Wayne Sornberger as director of business development.

The facility represents a multimillion-dollar investment in automation and more than doubles EMCO's production capacity. Twelve robots work in tandem across the line, taking raw bars of American steel through shearing, tapering, forming, heat treating and quenching. The plant is expected to support approximately 20 new jobs in Claremore and the surrounding area.

Roughly a dozen heavy-duty spring configurations are now being produced on the automated line, including the High-Performance Mono-Leaf Spring EMCO introduced in January. That 22,400-pound gross-axle-weight-rated spring reduced component weight 25 percent, from 53 pounds to 40 pounds, and exceeds Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association B-10 fatigue life requirements.

"Bringing this plant online and appointing Wayne to lead our HD sales efforts are two key components of our strategy," said Marcus Hester, president of EMCO Industries. "We built capacity specifically for heavy-duty trailer springs, and we brought in someone who has spent his career in that segment and knows what those buyers need. The plant gives us the room to grow. Wayne gives us the relationships to fill it."

Sornberger joined EMCO on July 13 after 35 years in the spring industry. He will cover the heavy-duty trailer market across North America and works from Alberta, Canada. Over three decades he has served many of North America's largest and most demanding trailer manufacturers.

"Customers stay with people who solve their problems, and that starts with getting product on the dock when you say you will," Sornberger said. "What EMCO gives me to sell is a spring built in Oklahoma from American steel, an eight-week lead time instead of 16 or 20, and a supply line that isn't exposed to import tariffs. Those are the three things buyers ask me about first."

EMCO's domestic manufacturing footprint has become a competitive advantage as trailer manufacturers work to reduce exposure to offshore supply. Because the company produces its springs in Oklahoma using domestic steel, customers avoid the tariff costs and the shipping variability attached to imported components. Lead times average eight weeks from order to delivery.

The company has expanded its share of business with leading OEMs, in a market that moved toward dual sourcing and domestic supply following the pandemic-era shortages that left mid-sized manufacturers waiting behind larger accounts. EMCO's focus on leaf springs allows the company to commit production capacity and engineering attention to those customers.

"Quality and price are table stakes in this business. If you can't deliver, none of it matters," Hester said. "That is what has earned us the business we have won over the last several years, and it is what the new facility protects as volume grows. We are not asking customers to take that on faith. Our record is on their receiving docks."

Every EMCO heavy-duty spring is manufactured to the company's proprietary steel specification and heat-treating process, then individually dipped and painted for corrosion resistance. The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified and has received multiple OEM Supplier of the Year awards. Its engineering team brings more than 120 years of combined leaf spring experience.

EMCO is accepting orders for its full heavy-duty trailer spring line.

To access a high-resolution image of Wayne Sornberger and the company's new manufacturing facility, please click here.

About EMCO Industries, LLC
For more than 35 years, EMCO Industries has manufactured leaf springs and heat-treated products for the trailer, agricultural and specialty vehicle industries. The company produces springs with capacities ranging from 250 pounds to 14,000 pounds, serving OEM and aftermarket customers globally from its facilities in Claremore, Oklahoma. As a U.S. manufacturer using American steel, EMCO has built its reputation on delivering quality products on time, every time. For more information, visit https://emcoind.com/.

All product and company names referenced are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Their use does not imply any affiliation with, endorsement by, or partnership with EMCO Industries.

SOURCE EMCO Industries