Buffalo Bolt Business Park in high demand

NORTH TONAWANDA - With growth in the City of North Tonawanda on the rise, the purchase of land at the Buffalo Bold Business Park is in high demand.

At the Tuesday night common council workshop, Jerry Najuch of Armstrong Pumps, met with North Tonawanda Mayor Rob Ortt and the common council to discuss purchasing a few lots at the location to allow for expansion of their business.

Incorporated in Lockport in 1966, the company soon relocated to North Tonawanda in 1968. From there they have made North Tonawanda one of their prime locations in the United States.

The global organization is headquartered in Canada, with seven manufacturing sites located as far as China and India. The company employs more than 750 people globally, and approximately 150 people at its North Tonawanda site.

Well-known for its design, engineering and manufacturing within the fluid-flow equipment industry, Armstrong Pumps has made quite an impression here in North Tonawanda and hopes to continue adding to the growth of the city.

During the workshop, Najuch proposed purchasing three lots within the business park; specifically lots four, five and eight, at the proposed price of $5,000 per acre, totaling 8.31 acres at a cost of $41, 550.

“We manufacture all types of fluid-flow products. Here in North Tonawanda we have expanded to manufacturing fluid-flow systems. We are manufacturing systems for universities and for high-rise, and due to the fact that we are building these systems we are outgrowing the building that we are in,” said Najuch.

With an annual growth rate of 14.5 percent, Armstrong Pumps is hoping that in the event their purchase offer is accepted, they will then be able to meet with Taylor Devices and Aqua Sol, two companies who have already purchased lots in the business park, and see how they can work together to best utilize the space in the park and aid in making the park a green space.

According to Najuch, this purchase would create 25 to 50 additional jobs in North Tonawanda.

Aside from the point that Armstrong Pumps is growing larger than the facility they are currently working out of, they are also faced with the task of maintaining 12 buildings with multi different levels; wasting energy in the current facility; low ceiling heights; poor production flow; low efficiency; a requirement of multiple handling; and property constraint, which often interferes with loading and unloading product shipments.

Depending on the approval from the city, Armstrong Pumps proposed both the option for a complete renovation and a partial renovation. The company plans to take a leadership role in the final stages of development at the Buffalo Bolt Business Park.

Future discussions are planned with all parties involved in order to determine whether or not the company and the city will move forward with the purchase and sale of the lots.

Najuch noted the urgency of the council’s decision, because Armstrong Pumps would like to begin the design process and get the renovations underway.

If approved, the project is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2013.