Northeast Treaters was honored by the Greene County Legislature and County Planning Board with a Planning Achievement Award in the categories of Economic Development and Environmental Preservation.
The award, presented by County Planning Board Chairman Erik Allan, was given in recognition of the company’s modernization and environmental clean-up efforts, and the positive impact of the project on employment and the economy in Greene County. On May 7th, 2016, Greg Christy and his team at Northeast Treaters presented the results of a $8 million plant renovation effort at the grand re-opening of their Athens, NY facility.
The plant manufactures pressure-treated wood products that are primarily used in residential construction including decks, boat docks, and gazebos. The company has been located in Athens for over 20 years and employs over 25 Greene County residents full-time. The successful completion of the renovation and environmental remediation enables the company to remain in Greene County and expand capacity that will provide additional employment and benefit the Town’s tax base.
The site has housed a wood products pressure treatment plant since the 1970s, and was purchased by Northeast Treaters in 1996. After over 40 years producing pressure-treated lumber, some major challenges questioned the viability of the plant remaining in Greene County.
First of all, there had been very little done to update the facility since it’s construction, aging infrastructure made it difficult for Northeast to fulfill wholesale orders from their area customers (Retail Lumberyards and Home Centers) let alone expand their customer base.
Secondly, production practices prior to the environmental legislation of the 1970s and 1980s would impose significant clean-up costs. If Northeast were to close the plant, any new operator would need to invest millions of dollars in Brownfield Remediation to bring the site into compliance with current laws.
The company and the County were committed to not just keeping the plant open, but laying the ground work for the sustainable growth of both revenue and jobs. The benefits of this effort are detailed in the Success Story: Northeast Treaters Invests for Growth in Athens, NY on the Invest In Greene website.
Receiving the award for Northeast Treaters was Rob Collette – Athens Plant Manager. He is pictured between Eugene Hatton – Greene County District 3 Legislator (Athens, NY) and Erik Allan – Chairman, Greene County Planning Board.
