ELDORADO STONE BREAKS GROUND AT ANTRIM COMMONS BUSINESS PARK

Greencastle, PA- Eldorado Stone, a 47-year-old architectural stone-veneer manufacturing company, broke ground Wednesday afternoon on its new facility in Antrim Township, Pa.

The new plant, which is expected to be completed in September 2017, will combine two separate sites, Greencastle’s manufacturing facility and Hagerstown’s distribution facility, into one unit with increased production capability and safety protections.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced in September that Eldorado Stone would consolidate its Greencastle and Hagerstown operations at a new plant in Antrim Township, creating an estimated 57 new jobs over the next three years.

As part of the plan, Eldorado Stone committed to retaining the 243 existing employees.

The roughly 20 employees from the Hagerstown plant will have jobs at the Pennsylvania facility, plant Manager Frank Guthrie said Wednesday.

Guthrie said that the project was in the works for many years, but only recently received a firm go-ahead to draft plans.

“Eldorado Stone is exactly what we had in mind,” said Tim Hogan, development manager for Atapco Properties. “We’re thrilled to have them onboard and thrilled to keep them in Greencastle-Antrim.”

Eldorado Stone will move into the custom-built, 432,000-square-foot facility at the Antrim Commons Business Park with the help of state grants and tax credits, plus a roughly $6.9 million company investment, Guthrie said.

Other tenants of the 400-acre, rail-served business park off Exit 3 of Interstate 81 include Armada and Gate 7.

The new location will improve production, expanding the company’s capacity by about 30 percent, Guthrie said.

The new facility also is billed as an improvement for safety conditions and the working environment, he said.

Guthrie praised the company’s “bright future” at the groundbreaking ceremony, citing new product lines.

The company has expanded to include brick veneer, fireplace surrounds and outdoor living solutions, according to a news release.

Georgina Cranston, executive director of the Greencastle-Antrim Chamber of Commerce, praised the company’s decision to stay in Pennsylvania, despite heavy lobbying from Maryland.

“If they had left, it would’ve been a tremendous loss,” she said. “But now they’re here for the long term. … It’s really a testimony to (Guthrie). He’s so involved in the community.”

To Guthrie, the groundbreaking is a first step. He is not done yet.

“It’s a relief that we got the go, but now, it’s time to put in the work,” he said. “There’s still plenty to do.”

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