Wood Producer Relocates to Oswego, NY

Oswego, NY, August 5--Oswego has attracted a new manufacturer to its Empire Zone, according to the Oswego Business Journal. Sure-Lock Industries, LLC, a manufacturer of pre-finished hardwood flooring, will be moving operations from Red Creek to a 60,000 square foot facility within the Oswego Warehousing compound on East Seneca Street. “Our facility in Red Creek is no longer effective in meeting the manufacturing demands of our growing list of customers,” said Arthur Brown, co-owner of Sure-Lock. “Based on our current contracts and continuing negotiations, our sales are expected to more than double by 2005.” Though Brown said he would be bringing along his “nucleus” of current employees, he intends to hire 15 to 16 new employees when manufacturing begins in the fall. Eight additional jobs are expected within a year, and a second shift is likely. An expansion is already being discussed, but would probably take place one or two years after production begins. The $1.4 million project will receive assistance from Oswego’s Industrial Development Agency, a grant secured by State Senator James Wright, HSBC, Niagara Mohawk, and the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board. Sure-Lock currently holds a patent on a finishing technique that uses ultraviolet light to quickly dry its product in about six minutes. The company, established in 1995, also plans to manufacture two new product lines within its new facility – high-tech floor finishing and specialized mill work. Brown said Sure-Lock will be able to turn out 50,000 square feet of flooring per week, per shift. He said America collectively consumes 100 million square feet of flooring per month. With his nearest competitors in Michigan and South Carolina, Brown said Sure-Lock was in an advantageous location to reach markets in the Northeast and Canada. “The opportunity for distribution is there on a national basis,” he said. Sure-Lock will also offer distribution services to client businesses.