STERLING TOWNSHIP -- After years of trying to attract companies to a business park in Wayne County, a fire truck manufacturer is finally moving in. The company is relocating from upstate New York, saying it needs more room and to be closer to Scranton to entertain customers.
The company's division near Bethel, New York has made tankers and pumpers that ship around the world.
Now the company has decided to be the first full-time tenant of the Sterling Business and Technology Park outside Hamlin.
Employees at Sutphen East are always busy filling new orders for fire tankers and pumpers. The company has been in Sullivan County, New York since 1989 but has outgrown its location and is moving to Wayne County by the end of the year.
"Nice that they're coming and the business is moving to grow bigger," said Rich Rollison of Honesdale.
The move to the Hamlin area is convenient for employees who live in Pennsylvania including Rollison. His drive time will drop by 45 minutes one-way. Not only that, but Sutphen will be very close to Interstate 84 as well as Scranton and the Poconos, a big difference from seasonal upstate New York.
"Sometimes when we're dealing with a half million dollar fire truck entertaining these customers is very important," said Sutphen head engineer Steven Dorfman.
Not to mention it will be in a business park that was looking for its first official tenant following nearly a decade and millions of dollars in investments. Sutphen will now move into a building at Sterling Business and Technology Park for a fraction of what it cost to develop it with money from the state.