Unifrax moving corporate headquarters from Falls to Tonawanda

Local News

October 10, 2011

By Michael Regan Niagara Gazette The Niagara Gazette Mon Oct 10, 2011, 11:28 PM EDT

NIAGARA FALLS — A Niagara Falls-based manufacturing company plans to move 96 employees to the Town of Tonawanda by early next year.

Unifrax will relocate its corporate headquarters and a research and development laboratory to a River Road facility with solar power capabilities, occupying 44,000 square feet at the Riverview Solar Technology Park, a 180-acre commercial development site owned by TM Montante Development.

The global company produces high-temperature insulation products sold in the industrial, emission control and fire protection markets, and employs 1,550 people worldwide in manufacturing facilities located in 10 countries, including one plant situated on Fire Tower Drive in Tonawanda.

As part of the transaction, Montante will acquire Unifrax’s current headquarters building, a 33,000 square-foot office facility located directly across from the entrance to the Whirlpool Bridge in Niagara Falls.

Thomas M. Montante, president of the development group, said he is working with local businesses and the mayor of the Cataract City to formulate a reuse plan for the structure, as preliminary blueprints are being drawn up for the redevelopment of the Niagara Falls site.

Following an array of recent solar projects announced across Western New York, Unifrax executives said the technology was a leading factor in keeping its headquarters in New York, as it pondered several out-of-state options including Indiana, where it already maintains a manufacturing plant.

But after several rounds of negotiations and a comprehensive energy audit, the developer and Unifrax came to a mutually compatible arrangement.

“As part of the agreement with Unifrax we looked at their energy consumption profile,” said Daniel Montante, director of solar project development for TM Montante Development. “We explored an energy offset proposal.”

That proposal will include the installation of a “solar array” on the roof of the new Unifrax facility, which will produce 100,000 kilowatts annually that will ease energy costs. According to Daniel Montante, the investiture will be added by TM Montante Development in December and can generate enough power for 20 residential homes. Montante said this will be his company’s third solar installation at the business park this year.

Unifrax plans on adding 15 new jobs at the Tonawanda facility in the next two years, while it currently employs 334 people statewide.

“Unifrax is growing rapidly and there are unique opportunities for expansion at Riverview,” said Dr. Paul Boymel, Vice President Worldwide Technology for Unifrax in a statement. “When experiments and new product development activities are underway the lab is a significant electric power user. Discounted solar energy played an important role in the decision-making process for us.”

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