California’s Coronado Stone Expanding to Westfield
Crown Hill Stone is now Coronado Stone
Vince Horrigan, Chautauqua County Executive; Kevin Sanvidge, CCIDA Administrative Director/CEO; Martha Bills, Supervisor, Town of Westfield; Dylan Mowry, Coronado Stone Lodi, CA Plant Manager; Mrs. Kathy Bacon and Mr. Mel Bacon, Owner and Founder, Coronado Stone Products; Aaron Resnick, Executive Director, Westfield Development Corporation; Diego Sirianni, Project Specialist, Empire State Development; John Hemmer, Chautauqua County Legislator; Geoff Turner, Coronado Stone Westfield Plant Manager; Robert Cochran, Deputy Mayor, Village of Westfield (tentative)
WESTFIELD, N.Y.:— Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan and local and state officials were on site recently to welcome Coronado Stone Products representatives to their new Chautauqua County manufacturing location.
Coronado Stone recently acquired the business assets of Crown Hill Stone, Inc., located at 59 Franklin Street and 28 E. Pearl Street in Westfield.
Horrigan congratulated company founder and owner, Mel Bacon, on the new location and thanked him for his commitment to Chautauqua County. “We are thrilled that Coronado Stone has selected Westfield for their new Northeastern US manufacturing location, preserving local jobs here with plans for expansion,” said Horrigan. “Mr. and Mrs. Bacon are committed to helping our community as well as helping grow our economy.”
Conversion of the newly acquired Westfield property is already underway, which will allow production of Coronado’s full line of stone veneer and thin brick products. The new plant will support the company’s expansion of sales into the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States, as well as Eastern Canada. This new facility expands Coronado Stone’s geographic manufacturing footprint, which currently includes five plants located in South Carolina, Texas, Northern California and Southern California.
According to company officials, sales continue to grow as they expand market share across the United States and Canada. This new facility will enable them to accelerate growth by providing lower landed costs, shorter lead times, and better overall freight logistics to customers within the serviced area.
The County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) has been the lead on the project, coordinating state and local assistance in developing an incentive package to attract the company here. Kevin Sanvidge, CCIDA Administrative Director/CEO said, “We worked aggressively to identify incentives which would convince Coronado to choose Chautauqua County, New York, over competing states for their new Northeast location. Each situation is unique so packages are customized based on company needs. In this case state programs, including New York State’s Excelsior Jobs Program, coupled with training grants offered through Chautauqua Works, had the biggest impact.
Empire State Development was engaged to prepare the Excelsior Jobs Program incentive.
“Coronado Stone adding jobs is excellent news for its expanding operation and for Chautauqua County,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams. “Coronado Stone chose New York State over possible sites in neighboring states because they believe that remaining in the Empire State will give them the best opportunity for continued success in the manufactured stone veneer business.”
The Westfield Development Corporation also played a key role. Serving as an initial point of contact at the local level in facilitating introductions to local resources, they also assisted with the gathering of property assessment, zoning, permitting, real estate, utility and community information.
While Coronado Stone is widely known across the US and Canada as a leading brand of manufactured stone veneer and thin brick products, some may not have heard about Coronado’s Second Chance Employment Philosophy. As a Christian and a business owner, Bacon felt a calling to give people a second chance in life. As a result, for over 10 years Coronado has incorporated a second chance philosophy into its hiring practices. Not all employees are second chance employees, however in addition to its regular employment base, they offer parolees a second chance by providing employment and job training where other employers may not. The company partners closely with local parole and probation departments to offer entry level positions with the opportunity to move up in wages and responsibility, based on skills, work ethic, attendance and commitment. The results have been unexpected, company officials said. Employee turnover remains about normal and sales have grown.
“It is rewarding,” Bacon said. “You wind up with some good people and you have some bad ones, but most do not want to go back to jail. They want jobs. This is something God chose me to do.”
The plant is presently being retooled and renovated to accommodate Coronado’s new operation there. Hiring is expected to begin in October with a focus on specialized skills first, including welding and electrical, and then general labor. Shipment of products is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year. Company representatives project employment to grow from three to fifty employees by 2016.
About Coronado Stone Products– Headquartered in Fontana, CA, Coronado Stone is known as a leading brand of manufactured stone veneer and thin brick products, Coronado Stone has provided architects, builders, contractors and homeowners high quality and beautiful stone veneer products for over 50 years. They offer the largest selection of profiles and colors in the industry. Products are hand crafted from natural stone in a process that makes the two hard to discern. Today their products are commonly used in commercial, multi-family, residential, repair and remodel projects.
About CCIDA –The CCIDA is an economic development organization authorized and empowered by the State of New York to make Chautauqua County a better place to work, live, and visit. They facilitate development by attracting new businesses, while promoting the retention and expansion of existing businesses. Assistance in the form of incentives – tax abatements, low interest loans, and bond financing – enhances the opportunities for job creation and retention by our businesses. For more information visit www.ccida.com.
