PrintKeystone welcomes two imports from Hayward
2 companies are expected to move from Hayward into the Keystone Pacific Business Park in Patterson.
GEA Westfalia Separator, the newest tenant in the Keystone Pacific Business Park, plans to occupy this building on Baldwin Road starting in early November. HPL Contract Inc. is planning on moving into a nearby building in December. PI Photo by James Leonard
From the Patterson Irrigator Friday, 31 October 2008
Written by James Leonard
Two companies are expected to move from Hayward into the Keystone Pacific Business Park in western Patterson by the end of the year.
German-based biotechnology equipment manufacturer GEA Westfalia Separator Inc. announced it was moving its regional operations from Hayward to Patterson more than a year ago and was expected to make the transition early this year.
After some delays, Keystone executive vice president Keith Schneider said Westfalia appears on track to begin operating a sales and training facility at the business park in the next couple of weeks. Westfalia will occupy the 24,000-square-foot building at 555 Baldwin Road, which already is decorated with its logo.
The building next door, a 31,000-square-foot facility at 525 Baldwin Road, will be the new home of Hayward-based furniture company HPL Contract. The business furniture manufacturer expects to move in sometime this December.
Westfalia and HPL Contract are each expected to employee about 50 people.
Keystone president and founder J. Patrick Gavaghan credited city officials with helping bring in the new tenants and their jobs.
“The addition of (these companies) demonstrates our continued success in identifying and successfully recruiting a diverse business base with top quality jobs to the city of Patterson, despite today’s challenging real estate environment,” Gavaghan said in a statement.
“This high level of teamwork with city officials is the key to Patterson’s success now and in the future.”
Calls to both Westfalia and HPL were not returned this week.
Westfalia’s machines separate fluids from solids or other liquids by centrifugal force. They are commonly used in making drinks and dairy products and processing edible oils. The equipment also is used for pharmaceuticals, the treatment of mineral oils and for sewage removal.
HPL president Frank Stratiotis said in January that the company would offer jobs in bookkeeping, supervising, customer service, cabinetry and engineering.
Some of HPL’s top clients include Kaiser Permanente, Stanford University and Sutter Health. The company has also provided furniture for a building at California State University, Stanislaus.
“I’m pleased to see the business park attract quality, diverse companies like HPL Contract and Westfalia to Patterson,” Mayor Becky Campo said in a statement. “The job growth for our community is so important to our citizens.”