Mercer Co. officials buoyed by news that plant’s staying

Staff report

mercer, pa.

The announcement that Thomas & Betts Reznor will keep its heating and ventilation manufacturing plant in Mercer prompted gratitude from county officials.

Thomas & Betts, based in Memphis, said Wednesday it would invest $3.6 million over the next 18 months in its Mercer plant. Part of that money is $2.5 million in a state match, said Tricia Bergeron, a corporate spokeswoman.

Mercer County commissioners said Wednesday that the plant’s staying in Mercer, where it’s been for more than 100 years, is good news for the county.

The company had been investigating moving its Mercer operations either to another state or another country.

“Faced with financial challenges from the economic downturn, Reznor had no choice to but review all its international operations,” said a prepared statement from the commissioners.

“As had long been rumored, the Mercer facility appeared ripe for closure,” commissioners said.

Now, the company plans to tear down an old manufacturing building that dates to 1911 on its Mercer site and build a new building that will be a research- and-development and training center, Bergeron said.

Another manufacturing building will be renovated. Ninety jobs will be retained, though 70 jobs are moving out of Mercer to Mexico, she said.

She said the restructuring should be finished within 18 months.