Astaras, Inc. Opens New Manufacturing Facility in Pinellas County, Florida
Company will produce and distribute American-made tungsten heavy alloy solutions to support defense industry
With assistance from Pinellas County Economic Development, Astaras, Inc. expanded its operations by opening a new manufacturing facility in Pinellas County, Florida. The expansion represents a $2.5 million capital investment, and the facility is expected to operate around the clock at full capacity, creating local job opportunities for skilled professionals. Astaras will use the new space to produce and distribute tungsten heavy alloy materials that are critical components in industries ranging from defense and aerospace, to automotive and medical.
“Over our 25 years in business, Astaras has built a reputation for commitment to quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction, and became the exclusive provider of tungsten heavy alloys from Weldstone Components in the Americas,” said Tobias Borawski, Astaras Managing Director. “With the opening of our new manufacturing facility, we take a bold step forward, offering American-made tungsten solutions that meet quality requirements for contractors and suppliers doing business with the U.S. Department of Defense.”
The company is headquartered in Pinellas County, where it operates a 56,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility, providing products to more than 2,000 welding stores in North America. With the addition of the tungsten heavy alloys manufacturing facility, Astaras sees an opportunity to expand into many other categories of product lines, as well.
Astaras began working with Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) several years ago. Scott Talcott, PCED Economic Development Manager, explains, “Initially, Astaras was looking at how they might expand with the existing facility, but when they zoomed in on tungsten manufacturing, it became clear that they’d need a separate location to meet those specific needs. The company considered other U.S. locations, as well as options in Mexico: it was competitive.”
Fortunately, PCED’s expertise with economic development tools and strong partner relations allowed Astaras to expand in Pinellas County, instead of taking prospective jobs elsewhere. PCED staff utilized several site selection tools such as TampaBaySites.org to locate a site that provided the right attributes for the company’s needs. Talcott connected Astaras to Duke Energy, which provided a $50,000 economic development incentive through the Florida Investment Fund. This assisted the company’s investment in necessary electrical capacity upgrades. Talcott also reached out to the City of Pinellas Park and the Pinellas Park Fire Department, both of which were quick to assist Astaras early in the process to identify and prepare utlity planning for the site. Talcott connected Astaras to Pinellas Technical College to explore skills-training opportunities for future job creation at the new facility and facilitated discussions with U.S. Department of Commerce staff about international trade.
PCED Director Dr. Cynthia Johnson says of her department’s work with Astaras, “PCED is known for is its breadth of knowledge and excellent relationships with municipal and corporate partners. Our team does the legwork of connecting a company like Astaras to the right people at the right organizations to execute expansion and job creation here, for the betterment of our local economy.”
“We are delighted with the assistance provided by Pinellas County,” adds Borawski, “Their contributions didn’t end at connecting us to a site location and other local partners: they also helped us turn the grand opening into something special. I think Pinellas County has made it abundantly clear to us that they are invested in creating jobs and economic growth in their community.”
Astaras relays that as it projects further growth of its business and workforce, it will explore an additional expansion in the future. PCED and its partners will continue working with the company to help drive future growth in Pinellas. Dr. Johnson expounds, “The investment Astaras has made here not only strengthens local industry but also enhances the region’s economic vitality and workforce.”
Learn more about Astaras, Inc. at www.astaras.com and more about the tungsten heavy alloy products at www.DensalloyUSA.com.
About Pinellas County Economic Development
Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) works with existing businesses to encourage expansion and seeks to attract new companies with high-wage careers to our community. Through investment tools, business classes, professional consulting services, trade missions to open new markets, and strategic partnerships, PCED fosters a pro-business environment and promotes the ideal business climate of Pinellas County, Florida. Learn more at www.pced.org.
