Classic Industries has initial OK for plant expansion in Unity
26 April 2018
Classic Industries has received initial approval of a proposed expansion that could more than double the size of its plastics manufacturing plant at the Wimmerton Industrial Park, off Route 981 in Unity.
The township zoning hearing board Tuesday granted several variances for the project, mostly approving existing parking spaces and a portion of the building that are closer to a public road — Devereux Drive — than normally is allowed.
Jeff MacKenzie, director of operations at the plant, said the company hopes to complete the expansion over the next year to keep pace with its growing business — making plastic injection-molded parts for companies that market medical products.
Kelly Policastro, controller for the company's owner, Technimark Healthcare, said Classic supplies parts to Johnson & Johnson and more than a dozen other global companies.
According to MacKenzie, the expansion would increase efficiency by allowing Classic to move a warehouse operation in Hempfield and about 10 employees who work there to the Unity facility. He said the company may add about 20 other employees at the Unity plant — which would increase in size to about 160,700 square feet, according to documents presented to the zoning panel.
Roughly 20 trucks come and go at the plant each week, traffic that isn't expected to increase because trips to the separate warehouse would be eliminated, MacKenzie said.
The zoning hearing board allowed Classic to provide 140 parking spaces, which the company says will be adequate for operations there, although township zoning regulations normally would require 201 spaces. The panel also approved a provisional variance Classic may need if its larger building and paved parking areas exceed 55 percent of the property's 559,641 square feet.
Classic still must present a land development plan for approval by township planners and supervisors. It also is seeking to purchase the site is leases from the Wimmer Corporation and to subdivide it from adjoining land on either side.
“The township doesn't have any objections to this at all,” said Unity Solicitor Gary Falatovich. “The township supervisors are always interested in expansion.”
Source: triblive.com