Antenna and RF systems leader celebrates opening of new production facility to accommodate large influx of proposals and orders
RAYMOND, Maine – December 11, 2017 – Dielectric, a pioneer in purpose-engineered antennas and RF systems for TV and radio broadcasters, last week celebrated the opening of its new 33,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Lewiston, Maine, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and facility tours for customers and partners. The new Lewiston facility, which will specifically focus on UHF business and repack orders, gives Dielectric two dedicated facilities for TV and FM radio antenna systems production.
The opening of the facility is the culmination of Dielectric’s three-year long preparation for repack business. To date, the company has delivered 1814 technical proposals for repack work, with 189 antennas officially on order. Dielectric has hired 55 new employees so far to support operations, overseen by Dielectric Manufacturing Managers Mike Spugnardi and John Mayhan.
“The Lewiston facility assures that Dielectric has ample capacity to accommodate repack and our global TV and FM Radio business,” said Keith Pelletier, vice president and general manager. “For repack business, we are fully prepared to work with broadcasters scheduled from Phase 0 through Phase 10, utilizing the industry’s most advanced antenna design and manufacturing processes. Our exceptional pre- and post-sales support rounds out our repack strategy, ensuring successful deployments across the United States.”
In addition to establishing the new facility, Dielectric has negotiated with key suppliers to secure timely delivery of the large volumes of raw materials required by the repack business for both facilities. This includes hundreds of steel and aluminum poles, thousands of feet of copper to fill transmission line orders, as well as Invar, Teflon and approximately 30,000 flanges for production of complete UHF antenna systems. All antenna products will undergo extensive testing on the outdoor test pad to verify compliance with customer requirements prior to shipping.
The Lewiston facility is located approximately 25 miles north of Dielectric’s company headquarters in Raymond, Maine. The Raymond facility will continue to handle production of all VHF and FM radio antennas, as well as filters and combiners.
About Dielectric
Based in Raymond, Maine, Dielectric LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinclair. Dielectric is a leading provider of innovative broadcast products. From remote stations to major markets, Dielectric has been delivering solutions for every need since 1942. Dielectric is an innovative, customer-centric organization with a long history of engineering excellence in designing and manufacturing high-quality broadcast solutions. The Company is a trusted partner of broadcasters worldwide. More information can be accessed at www.dielectric.com
