Westport Innovations, a producer of natural gas engines, on Tuesday, June 26, announced the official grand opening of the Westport Kentucky Integration Center. Home to the new Westport Wing Power System assembly center, the facility is capable of installing up to 20,000 systems per year, the company says.

“Louisville was a natural choice for the location of our newest Westport facility,” says Douglas Mann, director of manufacturing, Westport LD. “Westport has had a warm welcome from the state and the community, and we’re very pleased to be supporting economic growth and establishing new jobs and technologies in the region.”

As a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier, Westport LD has developed the Wing Power System, a fully integrated bifuel system designed, built, installed and delivered “key-ready” to customers through Westport LD authorized Ford dealers and distributors. The Ford vehicle warranty remains intact, and the additional components are warranted by Westport LD to the same levels.

The Westport Kentucky Integration Center is located across the street from the Ford Motor Co. Kentucky Truck Plant. The Wing Power System-powered Ford trucks are a ship-through OEM product: The trucks are taken directly from the Ford Plant to WKIC, where the natural gas fuel system is installed, then head back to Ford and are delivered using the Ford transportation system to Ford dealerships.

Westport has been approved for tax incentives of up to $750,000 through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the term of the agreement through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments.

Westport says it has invested significantly in both infrastructure, through renovating a previously vacant building, and product training and skill development for its 40 new employees. Westport LD also employs another 60 people in its technical center in Plymouth, Mich.