Fuller Technologies announce its headquarters will be located in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
Last year, Fuller opened a 122 000 ft2 factory in the Lehigh Valley, in Allen Township. Fuller is looking to expand its workforce there, with experienced manufacturing professionals and those seeking careers in industrial equipment production.
Fuller Technologies was created last year when Pacific Avenue Capital Partners purchased FLSmidth Cement, which was operating as a division of FLSmidth. FLSmidth Cement was then rebranded as Fuller Technologies.
Since the acquisition, Fuller has reorganised its holdings, including the decision to locate its global headquarters in Allentown, in the same location where FLSmidth Cement had its US headquarters, just outside of Allentown. FLSmidth Cement’s global headquarters was in Denmark.
The company has about 200 workers in total in the Lehigh Valley, at its headquarters and manufacturing location.
“Lehigh Valley has the workforce to fuel global companies like Fuller Technologies, in a strategic location in the Northeast, with an exceptional quality of life that provides both personal and professional opportunities,” said Kristin Cahayla-Hoffman, Vice President of Business Development & Attraction at Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC).
Fuller Technologies will retain its extensive global footprint, including its ongoing commitment to strategic locations in India and Denmark, where it recently opened new office locations. Globally, the company has about 2000 employees, and hopes to hire another 165 in the next year or so.
The new name is a nod to its past. The company was founded in 1926 in the Lehigh Valley, a renowned cement producing region, by Colonel James Wheeler Fuller III as the Fuller-Lehigh Company. It was acquired by FLSmidth in 1990.
Now it is operating independently again, and once again based in the Lehigh Valley, one of the Top 15% of manufacturing markets in the U.S. based on Gross Domestic.
It joins other corporate headquarters including Fortune 500 companies Air Products and PPL Corporation, along with Crayola and Lutron Electronics. Global firms B. Braun and Olympus Corporation of the Americas have their US headquarters here.
"Fuller Technologies is proud to be a global company, while returning to its deep roots in Pennsylvania's industrial heritage with the relocation of its headquarters to the USA," Fuller CEO Dennis Cassidy said. "The Lehigh Valley shaped our identity and capabilities, and we are proud to be a part of its future.”
Lehigh Valley is the birthplace of the American Portland cement industry, the most widely used type of cement globally, because of rich deposits of high-quality limestone. Cement manufacturers operating in the region today include Keystone Cement Co., Heidelberg Materials, Buzzi Unicem USA, and Holcim.
“We are committed to creating quality employment opportunities here in Pennsylvania, as we expand our operating presence in the key American cement market,” Cassidy said. “With many manufacturers facing challenges in attracting skilled workers, workforce development is a strategic priority for us.”
Among the equipment being produced in the Lehigh Valley is the Fuller-Kinyon® Pump. It uses air to push pulverised material through pipes, a process known as pneumatic transfer.
The pump was invented in the Lehigh Valley during World War I, by namesake Alonzo Kinyon of the Fuller-Lehigh Company. Mixing powdered material such as coal dust with air allowed it to flow freely inside pipes without fear of explosion.
Best known as a comprehensive solutions provider to the global cement industry, Fuller's equipment spans the cement-making process and is present in more than half the world's cement plants outside of China. While cement remains its core market, the company’s solutions are present in various other industries, including the lime, minerals, and bulk materials handling sectors, with plans to expand these complementary operations as part of its growth strategy.
“Our strength comes from being a truly international business with talented teams around the world. Our engineering and manufacturing locations in Europe and Asia are integral to delivering our products and services to a customer base that is truly global and will remain so. As we develop our base in Pennsylvania, we are also committed to growing our presence and technical expertise in key markets around the world,” Cassidy said.
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