Sampla Belting North America LLC, a manufacturer of industrial belts, will locate its first U.S. manufacturing operation in Lackawanna, New York, according to Business First of Buffalo. The company, a subsidiary of Italy-headquartered Sampla Belting S.R.L., has purchased a vacant 40,000-square-foot warehouse/manufacturing center for $1.25 million and will soon hire 17 employees for the operation, which will make heavy-duty belts for conveyer systems and automotive transmissions. Local economic development officials tell Business First that Sampla considered locating the operation in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as near an existing operation in South Africa or near its headquarters in Milan, Italy, but chose the New York location, where it already has a small sales office, after being presented with a package of state and local incentives that includes possible foreign-trade zone status; neither the company nor economic development officials released specific financial information.
