Governor Tom Corbett announced October 23rd that Flexicon Corporation, an industrial manufacturer, will expand at its current facility in Northampton County, adding at least 50 new jobs.

“Flexicon is the type of high-quality manufacturing company that we want to stay and grow here in the Lehigh Valley,” said Don Cunningham, LVEDC president and CEO. “This expansion should allow the company to boost its manufacturing efficiency and offer the potential for growth that is consistent with their worldwide reputation for making quality equipment.”

This is the 15th jobs announcement in the Lehigh Valley this year with the resulting total job creation for the county projected to be more than 1,340 new jobs.

“From Flexicon to Urban Outfitters and Walmart, companies from all over the world are looking at Pennsylvania to grow and we are seeing real results and new jobs,” Corbett said. “With a renewed business climate, and the best entrepreneurs, workforce and competitive location, it’s easy to understand why Flexicon chose to expand here.”

Flexicon, a manufacturer of engineered industrial bulk handling and processing equipment and systems, will expand at its current site in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County. To support the company’s increased workload and addition of a new product line, the company plans to invest more than $6.3 million to add an additional 90,000-square-foot expansion to the 91,000-square-foot facility. Flexicon is also projected to create 50 jobs and retain its 138 current employees at this site.

“The past few years have been very successful ones for Flexicon,” said David R. Gill, Flexicon’s president. “We have seen strong growth in several of our vertical markets and we have expanded our product lines. As a result, we are beginning to exceed the capacity of our Bethlehem headquarters. We are very grateful for the support of the Corbett Administration and the Governor’s Action Team. We will be able to hire more people and continue our growth right here in Bethlehem.”

The company received a funding offer from the Department of Community and Economic Development including a $100,000 Pennsylvania First Program grant, $100,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits and a $22,500 Guaranteed Free Training grant to be used to train its new workforce.

A $250,000 low-interest loan from the Machinery and Equipment Loan Fund to be repaid in 10 years and a $2 million low-interest loan from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority to be repaid in 15 years were also included.

The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, an experienced group of economic development professionals who work directly with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation.

In 2001, Flexicon relocated its manufacturing facility to Bethlehem Township, Northampton County, to complement its four international locations. Serving many markets including food, chemical, mining, construction materials, pharmaceuticals and petroleum, the company’s newest product includes a tubular cable conveyor designed for gentle conveying of fragile items such as coffee, cereal and nuts.

For more information, visit Flexicon Corporation at www.flexicon.com.