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WEB EXCLUSIVE

G&T Foam to Locate Near Reading, PA Airport

G&T Industries of Grand Rapids, MI will locate its Pennsylvania foam products division in a 106,700-square-foot building near the Reading Regional Airport Industrial Development Park.

In November, G&T Industries of Grand Rapids, MI, announced that it would base its Pennsylvania foam products division, G&T Foam Products, in Reading, PA. Robert H. Wood, G&T Industries Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, made the announcement.

The company, which produces a wide range of foam products for the packaging, medical, seating, and marine industries, will occupy a 106,700-square-foot building at 1157 Arnold Road in Bern Township, near the Reading Regional Airport Industrial Development Park. The building is owned and operated by ProLogis. The Garibaldi Group, Chatham, NJ, and Beacon Commercial, Conshohocken, PA were the brokers.

According to Kevin Kolesar, President of G&T Foam Products Group, the company is consolidating and relocating its Lancaster and Allentown, PA-based operations to Reading. “We were fortunate to find a modern facility that allowed us to merge two of our existing business units into a building that meets our needs for future growth and expansion,” says Kolesar. “Berks Economic Partnership did an outstanding and seamless job in helping us. Reading is the ideal location for our foam products group and we look forward to doing business here.”

According to Kolesar, the move will bring approximately 100 full-time manufacturing and management jobs to the area and create additional employment opportunities for Berks County. Equipment from the company’s Allentown and Lancaster plants will be moved into the new location, which Kolesar expects will be fully operational by February 2006. G&T currently leases 52,758 square feet with ProLogis in Allentown.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome G&T Foam Products as a member of the Greater Reading and Berks County business community,” said Jon Scott, President and Chief Executive Officer of Berks Economic Partnership. “The company has a rich tradition of innovation and we anticipate their continued success.” Scott estimated that the relocation of G&T Foam would result in an over $100 million boon to the local economy over the next 10 years.