Robert-James Sales Inc. in Lancaster.
Jeffrey Parrish was named to the board of directors of Robert-James Sales.
A Cheektowaga-based stainless steel pipe distributor wants to expand its warehouse in Lancaster in a $7.65 million project but is asking the town's industrial development agency for tax breaks to help pay for it.
Boden LLC, a real estate investment group with properties in Cheektowaga and Lancaster, is seeking to construct a 50,000-square-foot warehouse at 4543 Walden Ave., which it will lease to Robert-James Sales.
The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week.
Boden is seeking $297,500 in sales and mortgage-recording tax incentives, plus unspecified property tax break, from the Lancaster Industrial Development Agency, as well as site plan approval from the town planning board. The property tax breaks typically are the most lucrative part of an incentive package.
Costs include $5 million for construction, $2 million for infrastructure and $600,000 for furniture and fixtures. Funding will primarily come from bank loans, plus $650,000 in company equity. The project will help retain four full-time jobs, but no new jobs will be created.
Founded in 1972, Robert-James Sales offers a range of stainless-steel piping products and can also build a customized corrosion-resistant piping system. It currently employs 63 at its facility at 2585 Walden Ave.
"Robert James Sales is in need of modern warehouse space to remain competitive in the metals service center industry and to maintain current employment levels," Boden wrote in the application to the IDA. Without assistance, "we will not build the building."
Besides Lancaster, the company operates 11 other warehouses in Chicago; Cleveland; Florida; Indianapolis; Los Angeles and Stockton, Calif.; Missouri; New Jersey; Raleigh-Durham; Salt Lake City; and Wisconsin. Boden noted that the company could expand in those areas.
"Over the years, many agencies have contacted us regarding moving or expanding upon our locations," Boden wrote.
The company previously obtained $686,000 in tax breaks for a $6.47 million two-phase expansion project in 2018 and 2019, which added 45 acres and a 98,000-square-foot warehouse.
If approved, the project would begin this summer, with completion next winter.
Must-read local business coverage that exposes the trends, connects the dots and contextualizes the impact to Buffalo's economy.
I've been a business reporter at The Buffalo News since 2004, now covering residential and commercial real estate and development amid WNY's resurgence. I'm an upstate native, proud to call Buffalo my home, and committed to covering it thoroughly.
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Robert-James Sales Inc., an industrial manufacturing firm, is planning a $2.65 million expansion at its Walden Avenue site in Lancaster, confirmed Paul Leone, consultant to the Lancaster Industrial Development Agency. The acquisition of 45 additional acres at 4543 Walden Ave. and the planned construction of a 100,000-square-foot warehouse represents the second phase of the project that started in July 2018,
A public hearing Tuesday before the Lancaster Industrial Development Agency will air plans for a proposed $4.5 million warehouse and distribution center on Walden Avenue. The project proposed by Robert-James Sales Inc. involves the construction of a 100,000-square-foot warehouse at 4542 Walden, said Paul Leone, town consultant for the IDA. The project is expected to receive $686,000 in tax
Robert-James Sales Inc. in Lancaster.
Jeffrey Parrish was named to the board of directors of Robert-James Sales.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.