YORK, Pa. - International GEA Group made a multimillion dollar investment to build a local plant for brazed plate heat exchangers. Along with the merger of GEA FlatPlate Inc. and GEA WTT Inc. of Bohemia, N.Y., GEA Group AG announced a new manufacturing and administration facility to be built in York, Pa. The merged companies will offer a new product range and plan to provide one-stop shopping.

The two companies have merged to form GEA PHE Systems North America. The move utilizes the company’s structure and takes full advantage of the joint expertise between both organizations. As a global member of GEA Group AG, the company already benefits from worldwide manufacturing synergies for industrial equipment and systems.

Coinciding with the merger are plans to open a new manufacturing facility in York, which will bring all manufacturing and administrative processes of GEA FlatPlate and GEA WTT together. The new factory will provide production, sales, and application support for the company’s range of high-performance heat exchangers for use in the refrigeration, heating, and industrial processes. Production will begin in May, with total employment predicted to rise from 60 to more than 150.

“With full production in the United States, this product expansion will help us meet the high demand for our products and improve customer lead times,” said Kirby Lindtveit, senior vice president of sales for GEA PHE Systems North America. “We are excited about the future and delighted with the support that our customers, who will benefit tremendously from GEA PHE Systems in America, have shown.”

For more information, visit www.flatplate.com.

Publication date:02/26/2007