Old building, built in 1965, too small and needed modernized, officials say
ELLWOOD CITY — Snow and cold has not been a deterrent for contractors constructing an addition at Ellwood City Forge, and the tightness of available space never caused company owners to consider expanding anywhere but the borough.
Since earlier this month, crews with general contractor DiMarco Construction Co. of Clairton have been renovating an existing two-story 5,886-square-foot office building and constructing an adjoining new 9,235-square-foot three-story building for employees.
On Tuesday, when an official groundbreaking ceremony was held, workers were removing materials from inside the existing building and installing caissons to work on the new building's foundation, even as winds howled and snow swirled through the air.
Bill Nardone, vice president of operations for Ellwood City Forge, said contractor Phil DiMarco and his workers have been dedicated in not letting anything get in the way of them completing the project, which is expected to take seven months.
The forge, which has been in Ellwood City since 1910, needs the expansion because the existing building, constructed in 1965, was running out of space and needed modernization, officials said.
Anna Barensfeld, spokeswoman for Ellwood Group, the parent company, said Ellwood City Forge has expanded its operations quite a bit since 1965 and it was time to grow its facility.
However, the property on Commercial Avenue is constrained by the Connoquenessing Creek to the north and railroad tracks to the south, limiting options for where to expand.
"Despite the space restrictions, we were determined to keep our office facility adjacent to manufacturing operations" because employees are always in and out of the shop, Nardone said. So workers tore down an existing one-story addition and are building the three-story replacement on the same site.
Barensfeld, whose family owns the business, said they were willing to put up with the inconvenience to stay in the borough because they love the community. "We never want to leave," she said. "It has been a wonderful home."
The previous complex had 18 offices, 14 work stations and one conference room. Barensfeld said the new complex will include 28 offices, 22 work stations, two private work rooms, four mobile work stations, three meeting rooms, a larger conference room and a lunch room.
The new space will enhance technology available to workers and make better use of space. "We are working hard to modernize the space to meet the needs of our employees in today's working environment," Barensfeld said.
There are about 250 employees at the Ellwood City plant, with about 45 using the new space, officials said. The company also has facilities on Second Street in the borough, as well as in New Castle, Corry, Grove City and Cleveland, but the Commercial Avenue location is the headquarters.
Nardone said generations of families have worked at Ellwood City Forge and company officials hope they will continue to do so for decades to come.
"Ellwood City has been good to us," Barensfeld said.