Folks in the eastern half of Pennsylvania generally have no love for teams from Dallas. From calling themselves “America’s Team” to building the biggest monument to American excess since the Hummer 2, a certain Texas football franchise has given “Big D” a bad rap in this neck of the woods. But one manufacturing company is doing its part to mend fences.
Lennox International, a Dallas-based manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, announced this week that they will open a 130,000 sq. ft. distribution center in suburban Harrisburg. The Middletown, Dauphin County facility is taking advantage of state grant money totaling $181,950, including job training funding, tax credits and a $75,000 opportunity grant. But beyond these incentives, Lennox’s regional operations manager for the Northeast Chris Hannaford believes Harrisburg’s strategic location and local people can make the town a hub for Lennox’s expanding presence.
“The move has given us the opportunity to really reach our customers and our dealer base from that area, using the corridor of I-81 and a great network of roads coming into the area,” says Hannaford. “Its a qualified workforce there, centrally located to our needs, our landlord has been fantastic and put a wonderful facility together for us. We are really looking forward to being there.”
The new facility is part of a nationwide network of distribution centers that Lennox is building, creating regional headquarters in different key demographics. After Lennox announced intent to build in Middletown using various tax credit programs, Governor Ed Rendell issued a statement touting the success of these economic development programs. With the state dollars conditional on the creation of 31 new jobs within three years, the Governor won’t be the only one making friends with Dallas.
“When one of the world’s premier HVAC firms chooses Pennsylvania over other locations, it proves once again that our strategic investments help to attract even greater levels of private investment and create jobs,” says Rendell. “The workforce of south-central Pennsylvania will benefit from this facility’s new jobs and the potential for future growth.”
Source: Chris Hannaford, Lennox International
Writer: John Steele