FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
In what could be one of Lackawanna’s largest economic development deals in recent years, Deckorators Inc. of Grand Rapids will be opening a 253,310-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse complex on Commerce Drive.
Deckorators will be investing slightly more than $77.225 million in the project that could see 50 people employed initially with an average salary for full-time workers of $90,000.
A key part of the deal hinges on tax breaks and incentives being offered as a package. From the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, Empire State Development, and the New York Power Authority.
The deal is considered a major economic win for Lackawanna, as the city’s spokesman and development point man Charles Clark explains.
“It’ll bring the number of employees, whether it’s 5070, wherever they ultimately get to, more people into that area of Lackawanna, which is always good for the commercial activity of the local eateries and things of that nature,” Clark said. “So it’s a very huge win, that after a lot of fits and starts to get the right tenants in that building, that we’re not only going to have an owner focused in on enhancing the property, but a tenant that’s a leader in their industry and is going to create some good jobs.”
In the past five years, more than $200 million in new private sector-backed development projects have taken place in Lackawanna, and that does not include the current Deckorators project.
Deckorators is best known for its decking and railing products, both of which will be made at the Lackawanna plant. The facility will be Deckorators’ first in New York State.
The bulk of the products made in Lackawanna will be shipped to distributors and contractors outside of New York State, including some to foreign customers.
The project includes expanding an existing 168,310-square-foot building on the site by 19,000 square feet and then building an 85,000-square-foot warehouse.
Clark said the impact on both Lackawanna and the region will be significant…
“So it’s not only the big wins that are important here; we’re starting to find that we are on the radar of both large and small developers, and it continues to be a successful path forward,” Clark said.
Renovations and construction work will start this spring. The plant should be fully operational by early 2026.
Contact: WBFO-FM 88.7 | By Jim Fink
Source: WBFO. Read original HERE
