Antis Township supervisors have given the green light to land the development plan for Balfurd Inc. to construct a 13,000-plus square-foot addition to an already existing building in the Ardie J. Dillen Business Park.
Balfurd Inc. acquired the building, which was once used as a warehouse, earlier this year. The current facility is 30,000 square feet in size. In addition to the expansion to the existing building, Balfurd Inc. also has plans to create a dock canopy for its trucks, a parking lot and an access road.
Balfurd is a commercial laundry service provider which currently has production and retail operations in State College. The company is expected to begin work on its expansion and relocation plans shortly.
“We may be able to get started (with work on the project) a little sooner than originally expected,” said Bob Fogelsanger, Balfurd president.
When asked when the transition from State College would take place, Fogelsanger indicated it could be sooner than a previous target date of November of this year.
“We are now looking at October,” said Fogelsanger.
He indicated there are three contingencies which must be met for the project to proceed.
The company will need to receive an exemption from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Fogelsanger verified Balfurd does not have to complete a sewage planning module since a sewage system is already in place at the site.
Fogelsanger said the company is also waiting on the township engineer to approve the amount of a letter of credit which Balfurd must provide to the township. The letter of credit is in the amount of $92,375.
The company is also awaiting the approval of a NPDES permit from Blair County officials. Fogelsanger said the permit is needed in regards to a storm water management plan.
Prior to receiving the approval of the supervisors, Balfurd also learned it was awarded a $996,000 loan through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority. The maximum loan is either 40 percent of the project’s cost or $1,000,000. The total cost of Balfurd’s project is estimated at $4.5 million, according to Fogelsanger.
The PIDA loan is guaranteed through a sponsoring non-profit development corporation. In Balfurd’s case, Altoona Blair County Development Corporation is the sponsoring agency.
PIDA was created to finance the establishment of industrial development projects throughout the state. It provides financing in the form of low-interest loans for eligible projects.
“We were able to get a better rate (through PIDA) than a bank loan,” said Fogelsanger.
One of the requirements of the project receiving a PIDA loan is expected to create new jobs within three years. The ratio is one job for every $15,000 loaned. However, in certain cases when current jobs are retained, the jobs-to-amount loaned ratio can be increased to one new job per $20,000 loaned.
Many current Balfurd employees are expected to transfer to the new facility, although Fogelsanger has not indicated a exact figure since some employees are still deciding if they are willing to relocate or travel to Blair County.
Prior to a job fair in May, Fogelsanger said the new location would employ between 45 and 50 workers including delivery drivers. In all, the company should add some new jobs up front and employ a total of 85 employees at both the new production facilities and the retail outlets, which will remain open in State College. When the new facility is completed, a transition period will take place and the current facility in Centre County will be closed.
