B&T Manufacturing expands to Rapid City

RAPID CITY, S.D. — With help of Elevate Rapid City, B&T Manufacturing is making an expansion to Rapid City.

As their innovative approach to manufacturing garnered the attention of national brands like Lend-lease, B&T Manufacturing was quickly outgrowing their space in Black Hawk. They needed a facility that provided ample space on the floor for assembly, loading docks, and administrative space. The former Western Dakota Tech campus at 1600 Sedivy Lane proved to be the perfect place.

B&T specializes in a pod-construction model using cold form steel framing products, bathroom pods, and accessory dwelling units. Currently, B&T has an exclusive manufacturing agreement with Lend-lease to build bathroom pods.

Expanding to Rapid City allows for an increase in production capabilities to meet the demands of the industry, and also brings more high-paying jobs to the region. B&T is hiring experienced drywallers, tile setters, flooring specialists, electricians, plumbers, and finish carpenters.

“In addition, if someone is willing to learn and work hard, but is not currently working in the trades, we want them on our team,” said Tim Torpey, General Manager for B&T. “We will train the right person. Experience in the construction field is not needed.”

Another unique component to B&T’s construction model is that all work is done inside. This means work is able to continue year-round without the fear of weather impacting the timeline for meeting customer needs.

B&T began their move in spring of 2020. They have completely renovated the former campus back to its original manufacturing core. While work continues on the showroom floor and administration section of the building, they are ready to hire and begin ramping up work on incoming projects.

The success of this relocation is owed in part to working with the Elevate Rapid City team. From providing market analysis for competitive wages through the E.P.I.C. program to connecting B&T with state and local resources, Matt Brunner worked hard to help B&T see success. “Matt was very helpful throughout the process,” says Torpey. “We were in constant contact and he was able to get us connected to the right resources.”

“We are excited to be in Rapid City, we want to be a strong contributor in pushing forward a stable industry for the region,” adds Torpey. Over the next three years, B&T hopes to add more than 80 full-time jobs to the area.

“This expansion is a great addition to the Rapid City business community,” said Matt Brunner, Economic Development Director for Elevate Rapid City. “Tim and his team are adding much needed jobs with competitive wages to the region. Their innovative business model has put Rapid City on the map. We are proud of the work we were able to do to ensure this expansion was successful and look forward to a continued partnership.”