Gov. Tom Wolf announced that stainless steel manufacturer Phoenix Tube Company Inc. will be expanding its operations in Northampton County in Bethlehem with a new facility that will create and retain at least 165 jobs.
According to a July 28 release by Gov. Wolf, the company is adding a new production line to construct small diameter stainless steel, titanium and nickel alloy pressure tubing at a planned 52,000-square-foot facility. This facility will be be built on a 2 acre property adjacent to the existing facility at 1085 Win Drive.
“Phoenix Tube has called the commonwealth home for decades, and we are thrilled to see them grow,” Wolf said. “This investment will create new, good-paying manufacturing jobs that will boost the city and regional economy, strengthen our manufacturing industry and help a longtime Pennsylvania company continue to thrive and succeed.”
The company received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development for $2.65 million in loans through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority. It also received $90,000 through a Pennsylvania First grant and $50,000 from a workforce development grant to train new workers, the release said.
In addition, Phoenix Tube has been encouraged to apply for the Enterprise Zone Tax Credit and Manufacturing Tax Credit programs. According to the release, it has committed to investing $8.1 million into the project, adding 30 full-time jobs and preserving 135 existing jobs over three years.
“All of us at Phoenix Tube are very grateful to the state and local leaders who worked on our behalf to aid in this project,” according to a joint statement from President Andrew Reale and CEO David Reale of Phoenix Tube. “We are very excited to add to our product offerings and enter new markets that will enable us to continue to grow and expand our company. For over 40 years we have been a proud member of both the state and local business communities, and this commitment further strengthens our relationships. We look forward to many more decades of being a successful corporate partner with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and with our many devoted and loyal team members.”
The Governor’s Action Team was responsible for coordinating the project. For the past seven years Gov. Wolf has invested more than $17 billion, which has supported 418 completed projects. This has created 46,000 new jobs and retained 142,000 jobs.
Phoenix Tube Company is one of the world’s leaders in stainless steel manufacturing. With 250,000 square feet on 15 acres of land in Bethlehem, it is one of the largest of its kind in North America.
“It’s great to see Phoenix Tube’s continued growth here in the Lehigh Valley with the help of the commonwealth,” Don Cunningham, president and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., said. “Phoenix Tube is part of the expanding manufacturing sector in the Lehigh Valley, which last year became one of the 50 largest markets in the U.S. with more than 700 manufacturers employing 35,000 people and generating nearly $8 billion in annual GDP (Gross Domestic Product).”