The move to North Brunswick will be completed by 1 June of this year. Pro Tapes currently operates out of two facilities in Edison, NJ totaling 40,000sq.ft.
According to Pro Tapes executives, the company has enjoyed five consecutive years of double-digit sales growth, straining the capacity of its current production facilities. They forecast continued sales growth for 2008 and beyond in such key markets as contract converting and private-label services for the retail, paint and hardware, and graphic arts markets, making the need for larger facilities even more pressing.
The new North Brunswick headquarters will provide much-needed space for more efficient manufacturing and converting by allowing better pre- and post-production staging, while greatly reducing redundant material handling. Its size will also accommodate new state-of-the-art tape-converting equipment, as well as a new, fully automated packaging line.
"Bigger facilities take the shackles off our operation," said Barry Hart, Pro Tapes COO. "We will have the extra capacity to support our aggressive sales plans for the coming fiscal year and beyond."
Ed Miller, Pro Tapes president, noted that the company's $3.5 million investment plan is a positive sign in a weak economy. "While most companies are holding back on capital expenditures due to the softening economy, we will invest aggressively in our business over the next few years," he said. "Because we're confident in our business plan and historical sales performance, we feel the investment is not only sound, but required to assure our future success."
In an interesting twist, the new Pro Tapes facility in North Brunswick once housed its largest supplier, Permacel, a major tape manufacturer that moved out of state in 2004.
"The fact that the building was once used as a tape manufacturing facility certainly played a role in our decision to relocate there," said Hart. "Unlike other buildings we looked at, it already has a lot of the infrastructure we need. That made it pretty close to a 'turn-key' facility in terms of our operation."
(Lee Baldock)
