December 2003

Barden Homes to Make Major Expansion in Cortland County

Barden and Robeson Vice President Kevin Tomko joined Senator James L. Seward, Empire State Development Vice President Thomas Gillson and Town of Preble Supervisor Elizabeth Pitman at a press conference on November 14 at the Cortland County Country Club to announce a major expansion by the company in Cortland County.

Barden and Robeson, the Northeast's leading manufacturer of custom designed pre-engineered homes, will be investing approximately $4.5 million to acquire land and construct a new 100,000 sq. ft. manufacturing, storage and office facility, as well as purchase related machinery and equipment for a move to the Town of Preble. The company, which ships throughout New England, the Mid-Atlantic and the Midwest, considered other options both in and out of New York State before selecting Cortland County for this project.

"The buildings in which we hope to occupy by June 2004 will give us the advantages of state of the art equipment, improved product flow and a technically advanced communication environment," according to Tomko. "We will instantly be able to double our production capability thus creating opportunities for further employment gains."

"This is great news for Cortland and for the region," said State Senator James L. Seward, R/C/I-Oneonta. "It means new investment for the area, new jobs for local workers, and a lift to our local economy. Barden and Robeson is a quality company with a terrific history of supplying affordable housing to people across the United States, and their expansion in Cortland County is a positive indicator of our improving business climate."

"The Cortland county community has supported our organization from day one," said Mark Barden, Executive Vice President. "Without the early support back in 1967 from what is now Alliance Bank and local attorneys Ted Hoffman and Russ Ruthig the company would not have established the roots we have in this area today."

The company currently markets its products to 17 states east of the Mississippi and north of Virginia through a network of more than 160 company-trained independent dealers. Besides an existing manufacturing site in Cortland County which the company has outgrown, other facilities are located in Middleport, New York and Oxford Massachusetts. Dealers work with home owners to provide support and guidance in scheduling and managing subcontractors. Construction financing, as well as permanent mortgages, are available by the firm's Robar General Funding Corporation and The Milo Corporation respectively.

The company started in 1909 as a manufacturer of wagon wheels, and has evolved over the years to meet unique new market needs. Today, the Barden and Robeson Corporation is operated by the fourth generation of the founders' families. Over the years, the company has put its woodworking skills to use building bushel baskets for the fruit-growing trade located throughout the Finger Lakes Region, and later, ammunition boxes for the United States Armed Forces and its Allies during World War II.

In the home-building era that followed the war, Barden and Robeson moved into the home construction market. Barden Homes manufactures custom designed pre-engineered, "panelized" homes, churches and commercial buildings that yield significant savings in both material and labor costs. These processes, pioneered by Barden Homes, reflect the company's continued commitment to the "panelization" manufacturing process, projected by industry sources to represent almost 80% of all construction within the next 10 years.

This expansion will strategically position the company to expand in both its residential and commercial divisions. Growth in the company's existing Cortland County operation has occurred rapidly, exceeding capacity for that site. "Our sale numbers are very impressive," said Eric Barden Vice President of Sales, "and this expansion will only help our numbers grow." The company currently has 210 employees in New York State, of which nearly 100 are located in Cortland County. The company expects to add 25 to 45 new jobs locally over the next three to five years.

The expansion will also enable Barden Homes to expand production capability with shorter turn around times for all its product lines, which offers vacation homes, and family homes up to multi-million dollar estates. Its commercial division includes design and manufacturing of office complexes, motels and hotels, churches, retail buildings, healthcare and educational facilities.

Because of the seasonal nature of the Barden Homes business, the company plans to commence construction immediately in order to relocate to its new production facility and be ready for the 2004 home home-building season.

This move follows an expansion earlier this year by the firm's Robar Funding Corporation into the former Smith Corona facility in the Town of Cortlandville, Cortland County.

"Barden and Robeson's decision to reinvest in Cortland County is a testament to the quality of their local workforce, as well as a reflection of their community commitment as a family-owned business," said BDC-IDA Board Chairman Paul Slowey. "We were pleased to work with the company to facilitate this decision, and we salute their strong and loyal commitment to Central New York. They are a wonderful role model for other companies about how to grow and adapt in the modern manufacturing world."

Additional project information:

Kevin Tomko
Vice President, Barden Homes
607-749-2641