Erie County Times

Gasbarre Products Inc. is expanding its operations at the St. Marys facility in Elk County, which will create and retain 172 jobs across Pennsylvania.

According to a release by Gov. Tom Wolf on Oct. 26, the industrial furnace manufacturing company will be investing $5.8 million and has leased a 150,000-square-foot facility located at 835 Washington St. This will triple the size of the company's current location on State Street. Gasbarre has plans to relocate its Plymouth, Michigan, location to this facility as well.

“My administration remains committed to investing in businesses that want to grow here or set up shop in Pennsylvania,” Gov. Wolf said. “Gasbarre is creating and retaining good-paying jobs in some of our rural counties and helping to boost our competitive manufacturing industry – a true win for the commonwealth.”

Gasbarre received a funding proposal of $64,000 from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) through a Pennsylvania First Grant. The expansion project will involve 16 new jobs created at the facility within three years. The company also will retain 156 additional employees at four locations across the state that include St. Marys in Elk County, Philipsburg in Centre County and Dubois and Olanta in Clearfield County.

“With four locations here, Gasbarre has a nearly 50-year presence in Pennsylvania,”  DCED Secretary Neil Weaver said. “We’re very pleased to support the company’s newest expansion as they continue to grow and thrive in the commonwealth.”

CEO Alex Gasbarre is glad to see the company realize a path toward expansion in Pennsylvania where it already has a solid foundation. 

“Our investment in the new facility in St. Marys provides an opportunity for Gasbarre to continue to grow and flourish where we have manufactured for nearly 50 years. The work ethic and skills provided by past, current and future Gasbarre team members provide a strong base for this move," he said. 

Once the move is complete, the door will open for new hires.

"We look forward to adding new team members in the coming months when the move process is completed," Gasbarre said. "The people of Elk County and St. Marys will be key to our success.”

This project was made possible through the Governor’s Action Team (GAT). Gov. Wolf has invested nearly $18 billion through GAT over seven years. This has led to 431 projects, 48,000 new jobs and 145,400 jobs retained, according to the news release.