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HANOVER TWP. — A company, which has expanded three times since its inception, opened its new building Thursday afternoon.
Itoh Denki USA, a division of Itoh Denki Co. Ltd., of Kasai, Japan, moved from Hanover Industrial Estates to Hanover Crossings Business Park. They relocated to an 18-acre property off South Main Street, thanks to Robert Mericle, developer of the new facility.
Richard Kosik, president of Itoh Denki USA, said Mericle left room for another expansion at the new site when the company is ready.
Mericle said Itoh Denki USA is a “perfect example” of an international company wanting to be in the community long term. He credits them for wanting to put down “roots.”
The company, which has been in Hanover Township for 20 years, employs 22 people and will be adding several more over the year.
The expansion, Kosik said, is credited to a 46 percent increase of sales for their Itoh Power Moller in the last year.
Kosik said the location in Hanover Township is perfect for receiving part shipments.
“We enjoy the advantage of Northeastern Pennsylvania,” Kosik said about the location.
The company is Japanese and the parts for their rollers come from Japan. Kosik said they get weekly air shipments into JFK Airport in New York and monthly ocean deliveries.
Itoh Denki’s USA headquarters is one of four international factories — France, China, Japan and Hong Kong — the company has. Out of the Hanover Township plant, they’ve sold rollers into Canada and are looking at selling into Brazil and Chile.
“Our new factory and US corporate headquarters will give us more capacity to manufacture for our main markets … with the ability to expand,” Kosik said.
The Itoh Power Moller is an internally motorized conveyor roller, which is a conveyor roller tube, with an electric motor and gear set inside. The roller shuts off when not in use. Kosik said the rollers save companies money by lowering electricity costs.
According to Brad Bachle, technical support supervisor, the company currently makes approximately 500 of the power rollers a day. Each of the rollers, which Kosik said are now direct current instead of alternating current, can last 15 to 20,000 hours.
