Crystal Window & Door Systems’ new facility has started production in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Crystal Window has outfitted a 60,000-square-foot portion of the building with production equipment. The facility is producing the Crystal Series 2000 aluminium double-hung, slider and picture windows, and the Series 1240 and 1280 aluminium sliding patio doors. An official grand opening event is being considered for this spring.
“Bringing this factory online so quickly is an amazing feat and a tremendous benefit for all involved,” said Steve Chen, Crystal Windows’ COO. “Crystal’s window and door customers benefit through shortened lead times, the company benefits with expanded, yet integrated production capacity, the local labor force benefits with new employment opportunities, and a wide variety of northeastern Pennsylvania businesses benefit by supplying us with the services, materials, equipment and products we need to revamp and operate a facility of this scale.”
The Crystal expansion could be an economic boon for the region, according to the company. Of the 26 employees currently working at the factory, 24 are from the local area, one is from Reading, Pa., and another has relocated from the New York operation. The facility could eventually employ 300 to 350 workers.
More than 30 local northeastern Pennsylvania businesses have benefited from Crystal’s presence in the region, according to the company. Renovating, outfitting and supplying the facility has generated new business for construction, building materials, office supplies, trucking, and other firms.
The recently renovated production space represents the first of several phases of rehabilitation and outfitting envisioned over the coming years. Plans call for the facility’s door and window production capabilities to replicate that of Crystal’s New York City facility, as well as related glass, vinyl and aluminium operations.