CATTARAUGUS, N.Y. (WKBW) — A long-vacant factory building in the Village of Cattaraugus is about to get a second life, thanks to a Canadian manufacturer that plans to bring jobs, investment, and a renewed sense of hope to the community.
Daich Coatings, a high-end paint and decorative stone coatings company based in Hamilton, Ontario, has placed the former Setterstix building on South Main Street under contract.
WATCH: Vacant Cattaraugus factory to reopen under Canadian manufacturer
The 60,000-square-foot facility has sat empty since Setterstix relocated its operations to South Carolina in 2021, a loss that hit the village hard.
“To lose that business was really somewhat depressing,” said Corey Wiktor, Executive Director of the Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency (IDA). “Many generations of families in Cattaraugus worked there. We are hoping that this will bring new life and that this new company will become part of the fabric of the village.”
Wiktor said the project is expected to create 25 new jobs, marking Daich Coatings’ first U.S. operation. For a village that has seen decades of industrial decline, the news couldn’t come soon enough.
“It is such a shot in the arm,” Wiktor added. “The Village of Cattaraugus is this ideal old manufacturing village. Unfortunately, a lot of manufacturing has exited over the years. But now, we’re bringing in new life, and new employees who can literally walk to work. That’s tremendous.”
Longtime residents like Joan Cullen, who has lived in Cattaraugus for 52 years, say the announcement has sparked new energy in the village.
“It’s so wonderful, more jobs coming in,” said Cullen. “We were very sad when Setterstix closed, and so this is just using the same building and bringing in new life to the village.”
Cullen described Cattaraugus as a place full of charm and resilience, qualities she said are helping carry it into a new chapter.
“It is such a charming place to live, wonderful people,” she said. “It is just a beautiful setting, a really fun place.”
Wiktor said Daich Coatings could begin operations as early as this winter.
