By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – A local manufacturer of infection control and first aid products is expanding on Buffalo's East Side. Safetec of America says it will create as many as 20 new jobs at a new facility at the corner of Kensington Avenue and William Gaiter Parkway.
Many of Safetec's 40 current employees gathered with company officials and elected leaders yesterday to celebrate the recent start of construction. They all signed a steel beam that will be installed inside the 80,000 square foot structure. That's double the space Safetek has at its existing facility about a mile away. Company president Scott Weinstein said it was time to expand.
"Our business has been growing year after year," Weinstein said. "Quite honestly, we're out of space. And so, to continue our story of success, we needed a new building."
Weistein said it would have been easy for Safetec to move into the suburbs. But he said the company wanted to stay in the city, near its workforce. Safetec employee Tom Gioia said that was important to him.
"I live in the city, and it's great to see people stay in the city," Gioia said. "We need to keep jobs, especially on the East Side. It's nice to see this neighborhood get a nice new building."
Indeed, the company is locating on property that just ten years ago wasn't even available for development. Community activist Alonzo Barnes said he and others pressured city officials to bring jobs to the neighborhood. The result, Barnes said, was development of the William Gaiter Business Park.
"This is the last piece of the puzzle," Barnes said. "There's a business on every piece of the William Gaiter Parkway. It's a dream come true."
Safetec has received $900,000 in economic development loans for the new facility. Total cost of the project is $2 million.
The company makes hand sanitizers, first aid creams and lotions, disinfectants and other products for use in hospitals, nursing homes and schools.