Maker of pre-fabricated ticket booths, guard shacks expanding in Franklin County
A company that manufactures pre-fabricated structures used as ticket booths and guard shacks is about to expand in Franklin County.
Guardian Booths will invest $4.5 million to relocate its headquarters to Midvale Road in Waynesboro from Orangeburg, New York, in a deal that includes acquiring Homes by Keystone, a maker of pre-fabricated homes, according to a news release from Gov. Tom Wolf's office.
"Our strategic directive was to expand our geographical reach to support customers throughout the mid-Atlantic, northeast, Midwest and southeast while increasing our manufacturing footprint over the next few years; Franklin County was the perfect fit in terms of location," said Abraham Taub, owner and CEO of Guardian Booth. "We feel lucky to have found Homes by Keystone which has lots of synergy to our existing business model and allows Guardian Booth to expand its portfolio into modular prefabricated homes.”
The company plans to finalize the acquisition by the end of September, Rebecca Mattox, director of sales and marketing, told a reporter.
"Homes by Keystone will continue to operate as it is now with no downtime or loss of staff. Guardian Booth will begin to build its workforce and ramp up Guardian Booth manufacturing starting next week," she said on Friday.
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The move will create 33 full-time jobs. Guardian is now hiring assemblers (one to two years' experience) at $15 an hour, as well as a number of electricians, plumbers and welders at $25 an hour, Mattox said.
"We will likely be filling 20-24 positions in this line of work before the end of October, based on our current transition plan," she said.
Guardian is also recruiting for marketing and human resources positions.
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The relocation project was coordinated by the Governor's Action Team, a group of economic development experts that work with businesses considering moving or expanding in Pennsylvania. The company received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development for a $165,000 Pennsylvania First grant, a $106,000 workforce development grant to train its new workers and was encouraged to apply for the department’s Manufacturing Tax Credit program.
Wolf called Guardian's relocation "tremendous" for Pennsylvania.
"Between our prime northeast location and skilled workforce, the commonwealth has much to offer to manufacturing companies looking to set up shop and succeed in Pennsylvania," he said.
For more information about jobs and to apply, go to indeed.com/cmp/Guardian-Booth/jobs.
Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Guardian Booth expanding pre-fabricated business in Franklin County
