New York-based manufacturer boosts presence in Ozark

A New York-based manufacturing company in the automotive accessory space is expanding its product line via a leased facility in Ozark.

Worksport Ltd. (Nasdaq: WKSP), which launched in 2011, designs, develops and manufactures tonneau covers for pickup trucks. With New York headquarters in West Seneca and a 152,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Buffalo, officials say the company is expanding into the clean energy sector through development of products such as solar-powered tonneau covers and portable power systems.

After opening a research and development division in Ozark in 2023, Worksport is beginning to manufacture its solar-powered tonneau covers exclusively from the company’s local facility at 967 W. State Highway NN. Josh Swanigan is director of product development for Worksport. He is among a handful of employees working from the company’s Ozark facility, which it moved to in June. The company overall employs 110, officials say.

Swanigan said the facility’s 12,500 square feet incorporates four suites, including research and development space, a photo studio for marketing its products, offices and a small manufacturing area. The space allows integration between engineering, testing and production for its solar covers. Over the past several months, Worksport has spent time refining the solar cover’s assembly process with a goal to improve product performance and eventually accelerate production.

CEO Steven Rossi said via email that Ozark’s central location in the country and his ability to hire employees with extensive engineering backgrounds, such as Swanigan with past experience at P1 Manufacturing LLC, UnderCover Inc., both in the Rogersville area, and Carthage-based Leggett & Platt Inc. (NYSE: LEG), were attractive to him setting up a local facility.

Worksport signed a three-year lease for an undisclosed rate with Jared Commercial & Management LLC, Swanigan said, adding the company is actively looking for larger space.

“We couldn’t really find commercial property that fit our needs,” he said. “Hopefully, we expand space because we have outgrown this location pretty quick. ... Our CEO is really big into owning space, and so buying some land and building it to fit our needs would be ideal.”

Rossi estimated the company’s investment in the Ozark facility is roughly $1.5 million. The company is on pace for roughly $20 million in revenue this year – a 150% increase from $8 million in 2024, he said.

In the company’s most recent earnings call, Michael Johnston, chief financial officer, said net sales reached $5 million in the third quarter, a 61% year-over-year increase and up 22% from the prior quarter’s sales of $4.1 million.

The earnings call also projected the initial rollout for the solar-integrated tonneau cover and the mobile battery generator represents roughly $2.5 million in near-term initial revenue opportunity.

Going solar
Worksport’s manufacturing facility in Buffalo exceeds 100 employees and produces its line of hard and soft tonneau covers. However, its solar-powered tonneau cover, which it calls the Solis, is only being produced in Ozark. Rossi said the company projects to make around 2,500 a year.

“This tonneau cover is different, so it requires a little more craftsmanship,” Swanigan said. “We build this tonneau cover to order. It’s literally hand-built on a table, not on an assembly line, piece by piece. Right now, we’re still working on what we call the beta program. We have some residual parts that we’re kind of finishing up and training, and then we have solar panels coming on a boat. They’re currently being shipped from India.

”Swanigan said the company currently has two of its employees working on the assembly of the solar tonneau covers, which require training in electronic wiring, circuitry and solar assembly. Three panels make up each cover and the wiring connects to another new Worksport product, a mobile battery generator, which it dubs the Cor Ozark. Rossi said the company projects to make around 2,500 a year.

“We’re supposed to get our containers of solar panels near the end of December,” he said. “So, right now, we’re just building, training, developing the line and finishing up our beta builds.”

The solar-powered products are part of the company’s desire to focus on a green initiative and give people options to access power wherever they need it, Swanigan said.

“I think that truck owners and contractors and anybody that needs power where there isn’t any, that’s kind of where we’re going with this product,” he said, adding that can include outdoor applications such as camping and construction sites.

Worksport also has interest in expanding its solar-based platform.

“We’re looking at potential things like power walls and home solutions to be able to store power and help you outside of the truck, as well,” he said.

Having engineers work in the same facility as Worksport’s small team of product assemblers allows for diagnosing and solving problems immediately, Swanigan said.

“Being here allows us to really be reactionary on the new product,” he said.

Taking orders
As beta program work continues, the company began taking orders Nov. 28 for the solar tonneau covers and mobile battery generators exclusively through its website. Price for the solar covers range $1,999-$2,449, while the starter pack for Cor, which includes the inverter and battery, is $949.

“We did have over 400 preorders between Cor and Solis,” Swanigan said. “We are currently reaching out to all the preorders to verify who wants to fulfill it.”

As for business-to-business opportunities for retailers to sell the new solar products, Swanigan said that’s not currently an option.

“In order to keep the price point where we would like it and give our customers the best value, [the website’s] where it’s being sold right now,” he said.

Shipping to customers is scheduled to start Jan. 19, he said.

“Standard lead time will be about two to four weeks once we start shipping,” he said, noting a two-person team can produce about two solar tonneau covers per day. “With the right staffing, I hope to get up to be able to build about five a day.”

While the company has shipped products to all 50 states over its history, there’s currently no plans to ship internationally.

“The international truck line is not one that we have developed yet,” he said.

As solar panels are coming in the next few weeks that will allow assembly of roughly 350 tonneau covers, Swanigan said he expects there will soon be a need to upsize the local workforce. However, he declined to speculate how many more employees will be added.

“I have a feeling we’re going to be needing to find some good help,” he said. “We’ve expanded beyond our capabilities here already, but we’re going to keep working until we’re tripping over each other.”