CALDWELL, Texas — As the population grows, so does the need for more law enforcement. A new business is being built in Caldwell this year to support that growth in Burleson county both physically and financially.
Breaking ground today, CAP Fleet Upfitters hopes to be done with this project in 12 months. This facility is specifically tailored toward law enforcement agencies.
"We build police cars so the car will come from the factory and then we then take them and they’re mostly stripped from a comfort mat," Zach Hester, CAP Fleet Upfitters president said. "We install lights, cages, sirens, radio systems, computers systems, we do k9 units, swat vans, we do prisoner vans we do a lot of the transportation for school districts as well as TxDOT, a lot of the road trucks you see, a few ambulances and fire as well.”
The shop will open with 90 new employees. As for its current staff, CAP Fleet Upfitters says it has received 85% commitment from its other employees to move to Caldwell.
"The city of Caldwell and Burleson county very very pro-business and business-friendly, to not only us but to everyone, they understand the need for economic growth and despite it is a downtime in a global pandemic…but you have so much growth in the state of texas in general, which you gotta think that’s going to feed directly down to businesses like ours we got more students enrolled in school than ever because of the movement, more need for law enforcement. When you’re expanding the population of the state quickly, you have to expand the services that go along with those,”
On top of financial growth, CAP Fleet Upfitters is most excited about the partnership it has created with the local school district.
"We are going to have a shop class and from what we’ve been told by the superintendent who’s been very helpful with us this entire project is 22 kids a semester that’s we’re looking forward to showing what type of special trades they can get in lieu of college, gives them another field,”
The shop will have a training facility that will allow access to its three franchise stores for people to work on their skills for future careers. This new business in Caldwell will not only create cars for local municipalities but their products will also be sold nationwide.
CAP Fleet Upfitters has expanded to 23 states in 2021 and is one of the only authorized special manufacturers for general motors to sell a police package to any dealer nationwide.