“It’s certainly a good way to start the work week this morning, when we got the news that the Sumitomo Rubber plant had been sold to a company out of Taiwan, and they’re looking to bring 150, 250 jobs back into our area.”
That’s how Town of Tonawanda Supervisor Joseph Emminger reacted Tuesday, Oct. 14 to news that the former Sumitomo Rubber site at 10 Sheridan Drive is being sold to Hwa Fong Rubber, a company originating in Taiwan.
Hwa Fong Rubber intends to open manufacturing operations in early 2026, hiring up to 250 people to start. The company will use only a portion of the estimated two million square foot facility, leasing a large piece of it to other companies.
“They've indicated to us that they have several different partners that are looking to lease space from them and utilize, to make sure that they can, in some cases manufacture, in some cases package, in some cases ship things,” said State Assemblymember William Conrad, whose 140th District includes the plant. “They have a wide variety of different interested partners.”
Alex Chiu, chief executive officer of Hwa Fong Rubber USA provided the following prepared statement: “HF Tonawanda Industrial Park is a natural evolution for the former Sumitomo Rubber USA plant location, and we believe this property can successfully transform into a future hub of manufacturing activity and innovation that contributes to both the Western New York and New York State economies."
Conrad praised the company for moving into the region, telling Buffalo Toronto Public Media that it shows Tonawanda remains attractive for manufacturing companies, offering access to water and energy, good transportation, and other opportunities.
Sumitomo closed its Tonawanda operations abruptly last November, cutting more than 1,500 jobs. It was not yet clear whether they would get preference when Hwa Fong Rubber begins hiring its local workforce.
Numerous elected officials provided statements reacting to the news. State Senator Sean Ryan, for one, said in part: “This is welcome news for Tonawanda and all of Western New York. I want to thank Hwa Fong Rubber for recognizing the site's potential and choosing to invest in our local workforce. I’m also grateful to Empire State Development, County Executive Mark Poloncarz, the Town of Tonawanda, and the members of the task force who worked tirelessly to make this possible.”
Assemblymember Jon Rivera added that “this investment provides a pathway toward revitalizing a cornerstone of Tonawanda’s industrial landscape.”
Emminger, meanwhile, offered credit to Sumitomo for helping to find a new owner in less than a year.
“The Sumitomo ownership group, the Sumitomo local representatives, have been very upfront and honest with what's been going on from day one, and they've been keeping us in the loop as we went through this whole process,” he said. “And they had given us indications earlier this year that they were hopeful to have a deal in place by the end of 2025, and it looks like they're going to be able to do that.”
Emminger said he is scheduled to meet Hwa Fong Rubber officials next week. Among the items he plans to discuss is the company’s involvement in the town’s raw water project, which aims to improve water intakes at the closed NRG Huntley plant which serve neighboring industrial sites.
