Record-Journal
10-24-2007, 10:56 PM
MERIDEN -- A former beacon of hope in the city’s north end that later fell victim to the nation’s auto industry woes, could be stirring back to life.
The former Walbro Corp. building at 45 Gracey Ave. is being considered as the new home for Pyramid Technologies and United Oil Recovery Inc.
The move is a return home for John Augustyn, a partner with Pyramid Technologies on Elm Street. Augustyn and others were instrumental in spinning off Whitehead Engineered Products that moved to the Gracey Avenue plant in the late 1980s.
Pyramid Technologies is a manufacturer of high-tech timekeeping systems and is expanding its proprietary lines.
United Oil Recovery Inc. is a fuel recycler with an office on West Main Street, and other properties on Gracey Avenue. President David Carabetta could not be reached for comment.
Augustyn said the companies would evenly split the 115,000-square-foot building.
Michigan-based Walbro Corp. acquired Whitehead for its advanced auto filtration production.
Walbro showed big promise in the mid-1990s, but sales slumped by 1997.
Augustyn was the director of operations for Walbro’s Gracey Avenue plant in 1995, when the company embarked on a $38.2 million expansion to 508 N. Colony St., adding 500 new jobs, bringing the total to more than 900 workers at one time.
The Walbro site cleanup and expansion project had been hailed as one of the state’s most significant real estate deals.
The entire Walbro operation on North Colony Street and Gracey Avenue was eventually sold to TI Automotive for $570 million in 1999. TI shut down both operations in July 2006, and put the Gracey Avenue plant on the market for $2.1 million.
Augustyn would not reveal the final sales price Wednesday.
“If buildings could talk, 45 Gracey Ave. would have lots of stories to tell,” said Trudy Magnolia, who works in the city’s Economic Development Department.
Magnolia was instrumental in both the Walbro expansion project and helping to market the Gracey Aveneue property.
“Many people have been employed in this building over the years, and it’s so wonderful to know that people will be bringing paychecks home from this workplace again,” Magnolia said.
“Two Meriden businesses forming a partnership and working together to bring this vacant, under-utilized building back to life is fantastic. “
Pyramid Technologies employs 55 people in 65,000 square feet on Elm Street. Augustyn said the single-story layout at Gracey Avenue is better suited for its operation than its current three-story building.
“It’s sort of fun,” Augustyn said. “A lot of people here worked at Walbro. We’re happy to be closer to downtown.”
The former Walbro Corp. building at 45 Gracey Ave. is being considered as the new home for Pyramid Technologies and United Oil Recovery Inc.
The move is a return home for John Augustyn, a partner with Pyramid Technologies on Elm Street. Augustyn and others were instrumental in spinning off Whitehead Engineered Products that moved to the Gracey Avenue plant in the late 1980s.
Pyramid Technologies is a manufacturer of high-tech timekeeping systems and is expanding its proprietary lines.
United Oil Recovery Inc. is a fuel recycler with an office on West Main Street, and other properties on Gracey Avenue. President David Carabetta could not be reached for comment.
Augustyn said the companies would evenly split the 115,000-square-foot building.
Michigan-based Walbro Corp. acquired Whitehead for its advanced auto filtration production.
Walbro showed big promise in the mid-1990s, but sales slumped by 1997.
Augustyn was the director of operations for Walbro’s Gracey Avenue plant in 1995, when the company embarked on a $38.2 million expansion to 508 N. Colony St., adding 500 new jobs, bringing the total to more than 900 workers at one time.
The Walbro site cleanup and expansion project had been hailed as one of the state’s most significant real estate deals.
The entire Walbro operation on North Colony Street and Gracey Avenue was eventually sold to TI Automotive for $570 million in 1999. TI shut down both operations in July 2006, and put the Gracey Avenue plant on the market for $2.1 million.
Augustyn would not reveal the final sales price Wednesday.
“If buildings could talk, 45 Gracey Ave. would have lots of stories to tell,” said Trudy Magnolia, who works in the city’s Economic Development Department.
Magnolia was instrumental in both the Walbro expansion project and helping to market the Gracey Aveneue property.
“Many people have been employed in this building over the years, and it’s so wonderful to know that people will be bringing paychecks home from this workplace again,” Magnolia said.
“Two Meriden businesses forming a partnership and working together to bring this vacant, under-utilized building back to life is fantastic. “
Pyramid Technologies employs 55 people in 65,000 square feet on Elm Street. Augustyn said the single-story layout at Gracey Avenue is better suited for its operation than its current three-story building.
“It’s sort of fun,” Augustyn said. “A lot of people here worked at Walbro. We’re happy to be closer to downtown.”