FORT SMITH, Ark. - The Air Conditioning Division of Rheem Manufacturing Co. will establish a small assembly operation in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, in the first quarter of this year.

The Air Conditioning Division (ACD) assembly of its value line products will be located in a 50,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the existing Rheem Water Heater Division operation in Nuevo Laredo. This action is in support of the ACD's plan to increase market share in the growing value segment of the market, which is characterized by products with fewer features and lower price.

The products planned for transition to Mexico are currently produced in the company's Trenton, S.C., facility. This activity will affect approximately 25 employees there. The transfer of this product will not adversely affect the workforce in Fort Smith, Ark., or Milledgeville, Ga., where the majority of the ACD's products are produced.