TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Hwa Fong Rubber has announced its intent to purchase the former Sumitomo Rubber facility and property in the Town of Tonawanda.
According to a spokesperson, the company plans to transform the site into an active industrial park, initially named "HF Tonawanda Industrial Park," for various future uses across manufacturing, assembly, logistics, and technology business operations.
"The site will become home to a dynamic mix of local, national, and international company operations, while ensuring a robust reuse of the longstanding, and important, regional industrial site," a release says.
"This is just a good day," remarked Joe Emminger, Town of Tonawanda Supervisor. "We're certainly happy that less than a year later, the Sumitomo facility here on Sheridan Drive and River Road will be back in operation, employing people."
7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley, who covers the Northtowns, spoke with Emminger and other local leaders who also say this is "good news" for the community.
"For those who thought that the site might sit vacant for decades, I'm glad it will be moving forward with a new future," declared Mark Poloncarz, Erie County Executive.
The company said prospective operators within the park will include automotive-related manufacturing in rubber products, wheel parts, transmissions, chassis, and other components. It intends to create an initial 100 to 250 local jobs at the site and hopes for additional creation from future operators.
When Sumitomo closed in November of 2024, 1,500 people were left without jobs.
"Want to see the same complement of jobs or more, but this is the reality on the ground — it's going to be a mixed-use site," explained Bill Conrad, NYS Assemblyman.
“HF Tonawanda Industrial Park is a natural evolution for the former Sumitomo Rubber USA plant location, and we believe this property can successfully transform into a future hub of manufacturing activity and innovation that contributes to both the Western New York and New York State economies."
Taiwan-based Hwa Fong Rubber was founded in 1945 and produces a range of rubber products, from powersports, bicycle, industrial, agricultural, passenger car, specialty, truck to bus tires.
The Sumitomo Rubber Facility abruptly shut down in November 2024, leaving more than 1,500 people without a job. Sumitomo said the closure came after an extended examination of the facility's viability, which found mounting material and logistics costs, dated infrastructure, intermittent financial performance and changing market conditions.
The company claimed it implemented cost-control measures, efficiency enhancements, capital investments and other improvements over the last several years. But Sumitomo claimed the changes did not offset the mounting financial losses at the facility.
Some of the employees had worked there for just months, others had worked there for decades. They all told 7 News they had no warning that the entire facility would be shutting down for good.
WATCH: 'No clue that this was coming': Sumitomo Rubber closing Tonawanda tire facility, 1,550 workers will lose jobs
Following the closure and tour of the facility, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced a task force to address the fallout from the closure.
Sumitomo Rubber confirmed the intent to purchase and said in part, "SRUSA extends its sincere appreciation to Town of Tonawanda leadership, Invest Buffalo Niagara, Empire State Development and the Erie County Task Force for their various efforts to help identify a viable reuse for the property."
Governor Kathy Hochul released the following statement on the announcement:
“When Sumitomo closed its doors, my Administration got to work — day and night — to bring this site back to life. Its potential is too great, and the people of Tonawanda and Western New York too determined, to let it sit idle. Today’s announcement is a promising step forward, and I will keep standing with the workers and their families until this plant is once again driving jobs and opportunity.”
Since shutting down, Sumitomo has worked closely with the town and other agencies, including the Erie County Task Force to help identify the right use for the property.
"They always told me that they were hopeful that by the end of the year, we would have a new buyer for the property, and they were right -- they came through," Emminger stated.
