BARBERTON: An international rubber laboratory has plans to consolidate its three Akron facilities into a single new home in Barberton, eventually relocating 100 jobs to the Magic City.
Akron Rubber Development Laboratory (ARDL) has acquired an 11-acre property at North Van Buren and East Tuscarawas avenues, giving it 130,000 square feet between two joined buildings and more than doubling its existing space.
Until a couple of years ago, the property was leased to B&W for offices. Baby boomers may also recall its former life as a Gaylords department store at the foot of the old downtown viaduct.
Mayor Bill Judge said he doesn’t recall the last time Barberton acquired a company with 100 jobs.
“By today’s standards, a company with 50 jobs would be a big deal,” he said.
ARDL will take its time moving from its two locations on Gilchrist Road and one site on Kenmore Boulevard, said Greg Simms, director of innovation and sustainability.
“We’ve been in Akron since 1962. It’s a tough move for us,” he said.
But the company needed a lot of space on one floor and that was a hard order to fill. ARDL solves problems for the rubber and plastics industries and needs a single level to house hundreds of pieces of test equipment used for analysis, compound development and other custom projects.
ARDL is purchasing the property from Bernard Realty Co. Simms declined to say what the purchase price is before the deal closes.
The Barberton Community Development Corp. (BCDC), using economic development money granted from the Barberton Community Foundation, will provide a $2.5 million low-interest loan to help ARDL with renovations.
BCDC director Scott Wagner commended the yearlong effort to work out the details for the company’s relocation and expansion, saying the city, the BCDC and the community foundation demonstrated that they are a “powerful economic development tool.”
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.