Trailerbodybuilders 11385 Switch N Go Saegertown Pa 2 Copy 0
Trailerbodybuilders 11385 Switch N Go Saegertown Pa 2 Copy 0
Trailerbodybuilders 11385 Switch N Go Saegertown Pa 2 Copy 0
Trailerbodybuilders 11385 Switch N Go Saegertown Pa 2 Copy 0
Trailerbodybuilders 11385 Switch N Go Saegertown Pa 2 Copy 0

Deist expanding manufacturing operations in Pennsylvania

Feb. 21, 2019
$7.6 million project includes relocating truck body business Switch-N-Go to renovated Saegertown facility

Deist Industries, a manufacturer of hauling products whose business units include truck body maker Switch-N-Go, is planning a $7.6 million expansion that includes the renovation of a vacant facility in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday.

The project in the Saegertown Borough of Crawford County is expected to create 38 new jobs.

“Deist Industries’ addition of new manufacturing jobs is great news for Crawford County,” Wolf said. “More and more, we’re seeing manufacturing on the rise across Pennsylvania. This expansion is more evidence of that momentum.”

The vacant 60,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, formerly the home of Tru-Weld Grating, reportedly was sold in January for $900,000, according to local property records. Deist plans to update the building with “state-of-the-art” technology, with the goal of furthering its development of products for the work truck industry.

The company plans to invest “at least” $7.6 million in the project, creating 38 new full-time jobs and supporting 91 existing jobs over the next three years, and relocate its Switch-N-Go and AmeriDeck manufacturing operations to Saegertown, with production beginning this summer.

“After looking at various sites across the region for our potential business expansion, Deist Industries is excited to have found a great location in Saegertown, Pennsylvania,” said Matt Wilson, CEO of Deist Industries. “Critical to our decision was the participation of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to offer our company support in hiring and training our new employees at this site and in providing assistance in financing the renovation and equipment needs of the facility.

“We are also excited with the support we have received from the Economic Alliance of Crawford County and the borough of Saegertown.”

Deist received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development for the project. The proposal includes a $100,000 Pennsylvania First grant, $76,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits to be distributed upon creation of the new jobs, and $58,050 in funding to assist with workforce training.

The company also was encouraged to apply for a $3.25 million low-interest loan through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority. The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team (GAT), which works with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania. The Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County (EPACC) also coordinated on the project.

“We are extremely excited to have Deist Industries expanding into Crawford County,” said James Becker, executive director of EPACC. “They are a great company with great leadership. Crawford County and the Saegertown community will truly benefit from their expansion, investment and the creation of new manufacturing jobs.”

Since 1993, Deist has been a family-run truck fabrication operation headquartered in Mercer County. The company manufactures high-quality hauling products in four distinct but related fabrication operations for roll-off containers and dumpsters, roll-off replacement parts, detachable truck body systems, and hydraulic loading systems for full-size pickup trucks.

The company’s interchangeable truck bodies are used in a number of vocations in both the public, private, and government sectors.

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TBB Staff