Move will create 90 new jobs at former Smith Corona Building 

Carolina Woodwork, Inc. is relocating from Statesville, North Carolina to the former Smith Corona manufacturing plant in the Town of Cortlandville where it will eventually hire 90 local people, including new local management. Carolina Woodwork manufactures high grade decking components, including spindles, rails, wood decking and moldings. When the move is complete in early 2003, the company will distribute these products to approximately 350 lumberyards throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic also served by its parent, Bestway Enterprises Inc., a lumber and building materials distributor based in Cortland. Both Bestway and Carolina Woodwork are owned by local entrepreneur Karl Ochs, as is the former Smith Corona manufacturing facility. The woodwork company is expected to utilize about 32,000 sq. ft. in the former Smith Corona building, which Ochs purchased, renamed SCWP, and is redeveloping as premium office, manufacturing and warehouse space.

A new name for the woodwork company is being established that will tie in with Bestway Enterprises. Bestway and its various subsidiaries employ 208, with 123 working at Bestway's New York State locations, including 88 at the company's headquarters in Cortland. Bestway also has facilities in Harrisville and Gouverneur, NY, as well as Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

The relocation announcement was made at a February 14 press conference featuring Senator James Seward and officials from Empire State Development. A $100,000 grant from ESD will help facilitate moving the manufacturing and machine tooling equipment from North Carolina to New York State.

Karl Ochs and SCWP General Manager Mike Chernago have done an impressive job redeveloping the former Smith Corona facility. When Ochs acquired the 413,200 sq. ft. building in April 1999, it had one tenant, Smith Corona, occupying 10,000 sq. ft. Currently, there are 15 tenants, occupying 52% of the facility. With the addition of Carolina Woodwork, there will be 16 tenants, moving the occupancy rate up to 63%. Other tenants who use the SCWP facility for machining, office operations, storage, assembly and distribution, as well as other operations, currently include: Aqua Valley; Bestway Enterprises; BorgWarner; Combined Life; Cortland Glass; Greenwood Corp.; Herman Hale; Indacom Tooling; J. Johnson; JIT Tool; JM Murray Center; J. Jenney; Midway Metal; Pall Trinity Micro; Radiological Services.

Reusing the former Smith Corona facility is important to the community in many ways. SCM was founded in Central New York, tracing its origins back to 1903 and the LC Smith and Brothers Typewriter Co., and its demise was a blow to the regional economy. Ochs bought the former manufacturing facility, including the former SCM tool room and 89 surrounding acres of land. "The facility is an excellent example of adaptive reuse of an industrial site," according to Cortland BDC Executive Director Linda Hartsock. "Cortland is reaping the benefits as the building is put back into productive use and businesses are making investments in the community. The addition of Carolina Woodwork, Inc. to the facility will be a major win for Cortland and Upstate New York."

Chernago, who is also President of Indacom Tooling Group, a tool and die manufacturer located in SCWP, added, "The tenant occupancy is maturing very well. Our success has been in working with our tenants to make this a win-win situation. We appreciate the efforts of all involved in helping build a 'business friendly' environment in our community and expect these efforts will continue to bring success to Cortland County."

For more information on SCWP or Carolina Woodwork: Mike Chernago (607) 756-4304.