THE SCRANTON PLAN
BRINGS SOCAFE TO DUNMORE
Nationally-known coffee manufacturer and distributor Socafe will relocate and expand its operations to Dunmore Borough , creating 130 new jobs in Lackawanna County , thanks to efforts by The Scranton Plan , the economic development marketing affiliate of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce .
Founded in 1987 and currently based in Newark , New Jersey , Socafe is a pioneer in the world of gourmet coffee roasting and distribution on the East Coast . The company provides the coffee roasting industry with quality coffee and machinery , as well as the branding , packaging and distribution of single serve pods to thousands of retail stores across the nation and dozens of online outlets . Socafe manufactures single serve coffee for its own brands , as well as existing customer brands , while offering private label brands for other roasters and retail chains .
“ We are more than ready to create a new home for our continually growing business in the Greater Scranton region ,” said Joseph Fernandes III , vice president of Socafe . “ The assistance we received from The Scranton Plan allowed us to discover the pro-business philosophy that is abundant both in Pennsylvania and in Lackawanna County . The Scranton Plan ’ s
8 • The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce research also helped us discover a vibrant available workforce . Thanks to their assistance , we are confident this is going to be a positive move not only for our business , but also for the residents of Lackawanna County and the surrounding area .”
Socafe will purchase an existing 116,000 sq . ft . building in Dunmore Borough , formerly known as Grove Textiles , to relocate its headquarters and manufacturing operations from Newark . This facility offers Socafe an additional 85,000 sq . ft . of space versus their Newark location and enables the company to streamline its operations . The company is investing approximately $ 2,471,000 into the project , which will create 130 jobs over three years .
“ This is an important economic development project for several reasons ,” said Bob Durkin , Chamber president . “ Socafe will create 130 quality jobs in our area , it will adaptively reuse an iconic historic property , and it will demonstrate to other prospects that our region is a great place to establish and grow a cutting-edge business .”
According to Dunmore Borough officials , Socafe ’ s arrival in the municipality will positively affect the town ’ s growing business base .
“ The entire Dunmore Borough Council is ecstatic that a manufacturing business of Socafe ’ s caliber will move into our town ,” said Tom Hallinan , Dunmore Borough councilman . “ Socafe ’ s arrival will help our municipality improve its tax base , as well as make our town more attractive to businesses wishing to locate here . As an added bonus , it will also help improve one of our borough ’ s neighborhoods . This is nothing but a positive thing for us .”
Socafe received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development that includes a $ 130,000 Pennsylvania First grant , an $ 18,000 WEDnet grant for employee training , and $ 130,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits to be issued after the new jobs are created .