WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The Shop-Vac plant in Williamsport is here to stay. After the company laid off hundreds of workers last year and was ready to shut down the plant, a new ownership group purchased Shop-Vac.
Gary Duboff is a part of that new ownership group, and he is excited for what the future holds.
"We're going to keep manufacturing in Williamsport, and we also have manufacturing overseas just as they did before, but we have every intention on growing this business, and we hope to grow our presence in Williamsport as well," said Gary Duboff of GreatStar Tools USA.
Since the plant is remaining open, more than 150 people get to keep their jobs at the plant. Duboff tells Newswatch 16 that the goal is to build from the ground up and create dozens of new jobs in the future.
"We have them working, working on inventory that we had to build it out to get ready to ship out to customers as we bring them on board and then as we get the word out and as we get more and more interest we will hire people as quickly as we can to support our needs in the plant," said Duboff.
"The types of jobs that Shop-Vac employs are manufacturing jobs and family-sustaining wages. Those types of jobs are key to any community," said Jason Fink, the president of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce.
When Shop-Vac laid off its employees last September, multiple retail companies ended their contracts with the wet-dry vacuum manufacturers. The new owners believe they can build it back up.
"So we are trying to move as quickly as we can to get production back up and running so we can put these programs in place and satisfy these people and grow the business in Williamsport and start to bring people back," said Duboff.
Shop-Vac says it plans to bring at least 14 former employees back to work by the end of the month.