P&L Metalcrafts Seeks Abatement for $2.7M Addition

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – P&L Metalcrafts LLC intends to spend about $2.7 million to build and equip an expansion of its Ohio Works Drive plant.

The specialty metal fabricator plans to build an approximately 13,000-square-foot addition to the building, company officials told members of City Council’s community planning and economic development committee Tuesday afternoon.

The addition itself will cost about $1.4 million. P&L, which has been in business 10 years, is seeking a 10-year, 75% property tax abatement from the city to support the project.

An ordinance to authorize the abatement likely will go before City Council at its June 21 meeting, its final session before its summer recess, 1st Ward Councilman Julius Oliver, chairman of the CPED committee, said.  

Company officials cited growing demand for products it manufactures, including stairwells and railings used in commercial buildings, schools and stadiums.

The company’s projects have included the expansion of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, work at Eastwood Field and several buildings at Youngstown State University, Charlie Pizanias, a partner at the company, said. The Builders Exchange regularly sends P&L jobs to bid on, as do local contractors the company regularly works with.    

The company has grown from $800,000 a decade ago to just under $4.5 million, he reported. The plan is to expand the company’s workforce from just under 20 to 29 in the next few years.

“It’s an exciting time,” he remarked. The company is at “full capacity” levels because of its workload and needs to bring on more employees and add more equipment.

“Because of our engineering department, we’re picking up more projects,” partner Gus Lyras said. “Our building is too small. We get bottlenecked by the times when one project overlaps another project.”

Earlier this year, the city approved a $150,000 loan from the city’s revolving loan fund for exterior improvements to the existing building, including window upgrades, an awning and asphalt for the front parking lot. Additionally, the company is seeking state assistance, including job creation incentives, and is researching the state’s TechCred program, Pizanias said.

He also said he has reached out to local trade schools and Youngstown State University to fill positions. In addition, he said the Campbell school system approached the company about a summer trades program it is running for students in grades 10 through 12.

“So that’s what we’re trying to focus on, to attract younger blood, younger generations to the trades, especially with welding, cutting, laying out and understanding the process involved in manufacturing,” he said.  

In addition to the remaining 25% of property tax – which would increase from the amount now collected for the undeveloped site for the addition – the new payroll would generate nearly $7,000 in additional income tax annually, said Nick Chretien, director of planning and regional development for the Western Reserve Port Authority.

“It sounds like a great project to me,” Oliver said.    

Councilman Mike Ray, 4th Ward, noted that when the city converted the former steel mill property where P&L is located, tenants were provided additional land to accommodate future expansion.

“That was part of the original plan, and we’re seeing that come to fruition,” he said.

Work on the addition hopefully will be underway by the end of May, with the addition completed by the end of the year, Lyras said.

Pictured at top: P&L Metalcrafts’ facility at 1050 Ohio Works Drive, Youngstown. (P&L Metalcrafts)

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.