Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro yesterday announced a $9.75 million investment from Conair to expand its manufacturing operations in the state. The project will create 126 new jobs over the next three years and retain 273 positions. Conair is part of Piovan Group North America (PGNA), the regional headquarters for Italian industrial automation manufacturer PiovanGroup.
Conair's primary manufacturing facility in Franklin has reached capacity and can no longer support future growth. So, the company leased another 157,760-square-foot building in Franklin, which was previously occupied by Joy Manufacturing, an old mining equipment manufacturer that went under in 2017.
Conair will continue assembling its products at its old plant while the new location will add fabrication, machining and powder coating capacity. Fabrication is expected to begin early next year.
The state is investing $845,000 in the project. Coordinated by the Governor’s BusinessPA team, PGNA received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for an $805,000 Pennsylvania First grant and a $40,000 WEDNetPA grant to train its workers. The state competed against Ohio and West Virginia for the project.
DCED Secretary Rick Siger called Conair's revitalization of the shuttered factory a "big win" for the community. "This investment will breathe new life into a site that has sat vacant for almost a decade," Siger said.
The Conair Group supplies auxiliary equipment and systems for plastics processors in the automotive, packaging, medical, transportation, building and construction markets, among others, with solutions spanning drying, conveying, blending, heat transfer, size reduction and downstream extrusion. Its extrusion solutions include line-control systems, film and sheet scrap-reclaim systems and downstream equipment for pipe and profile extrusion.
“Conair has been manufacturing in Franklin for more than 70 years, and this expansion reflects our commitment to our employees, our customers, and this community,” said Jon Lashley, executive vice president of The Conair Group. Lashley added that the new fabrication, machining and powder coating capabilities will give Conair greater control over quality and lead times and help us respond more quickly to customer demands.
The Conair Group became a part of PiovanGroup in early 2022 when it acquired its parent company, IPEG.
