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Rochester Technology Park draws ship parts builder to Gates

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Question: What''s an ocean-going-ship-parts builder doing in Gates, so far from salt water?

Answer: Canadian-owned Weldrite Closures found that Rochester Technology Park met its needs. And since it ships its water-tight doors, hatches, gates and flood protection devices all over the world, it didn''t have to be near an ocean.
"Rochester really has a great pool of talented people here and a great source of quality suppliers," said Richard Knapp, general manager of the startup company, adding that Weldrite''s need for steel fabricators and machine tooling could be met in this area.
Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks said in a statement that Weldrite''s choice of Rochester Technology Park "is a testament to the site''s outstanding assets and to our region''s overall strength in precision manufacturing."
Weldrite, which signed a 10-year lease, moved into Tech Park in February and has hired about half the 40 employees it expects to bring on board within three years. Tryad Group is building out the 50,000-square-foot space to accommodate the manufacturer even though production has already begun.
Paul Campbell is the broker for Moore Corporate Real Estate, which handles leasing for the site, Eastman Kodak Co.''s former Elmgrove complex. Campbell said executive-style offices are being added, along with signs identifying the new tenant at 2292 Innovation Way.
Knapp said Weldrite had considered several locations in the Rochester area but was impressed by Tech Park. "When Kodak built these buildings, they really did everything top-notch," he said.
Weldrite also got a boost from Empire Zone and County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency tax breaks associated with the Tech Park site.

Among the products Weldrite makes are water-tight shipping doors for self-unloading freighters. Knapp said the freighter doors allow a barge to come close enough to unload up to 60 tons of cargo a minute. As a result, freighters don''t need to dock and pay port fees.
Much of the company''s output is shipped to Pacific Rim customers, Knapp said.

The Tryad Group bought four-fifths of the 5-million-square-foot Tech Park in 2007 and has brought in tenants that include Citigroup, Pepsi Bottling and Hammer Packaging.
With Weldrite, Tryad has filled about 1.3 million square feet of 3.5 million that are leasable, Campbell said.

DCARTER@DemocratandChronicle.com