Clopay Purchases Vacant Troy Plant Multi-Million Dollar Expansion Project Will Bring Jobs to Ohio

CINCINNATI — Clopay Building Products, a leading manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial garage doors in North America, closed today on its contract to purchase the vacant MT Picture Display plant located in Troy, Ohio. The company purchased the facility to expand its manufacturing capabilities and will begin operations at the site on August 1.
“This project is a function of our company's continuing commitment to be the leading overhead sectional door manufacturer," says Bob Zonar, Clopay Building Products company vice president, manufacturing. "Improvements incorporated into this $70 million expansion ensure that our building products manufacturing capabilities lead the industry.
Clopay Building Products currently employs over 700 people in the state of Ohio between its Mason-based headquarters and a manufacturing facility in Russia. It also has manufacturing plants in Auburn, WA., Tempe, AZ., and Baldwin, WI.
“The presence of the existing available space in Troy, together with leveraging the infrastructure of Clopay’s existing nearby operations in Russia and Mason have allowed for an efficient and timely start-up of the facility,” Zonar adds.
Clopay has no plans to close the Russia facility, however, it will gradually transfer selected equipment and personnel to the Troy location. The Troy expansion project will create 100 manufacturing jobs in Ohio in its first phase. Jobs at the Mason headquarters will not be affected.

In April, the Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved Clopay’s application for a 65 percent, eight-year tax credit to rationalize its building products manufacturing operations at an existing facility in the state of Ohio. The value of the tax credit will be $2.1 million over the term, and the company is required to maintain operations at the project site for 16 years. Clopay will also receive an Ohio Enterprise Bond Fund loan and a 166 Direct Loan.
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Clopay entered the garage door business in 1964 with the purchase of Baker-Aldor-Jones of Hialeah, Florida and the purchase in 1969 of Francis Products in Russia, Ohio. Over the last forty years, Clopay has grown to become a recognized leader in the overhead sectional door industry, marketing its building products under the brand names Clopayâ, Holmesâ and Ideal Doorâ. The company owns and operates a national network of 48 distribution centers and sells its products to 2,000 independent professional dealers as well as major home center retail chains including Menard’s Inc. and Lowe’s Companies, Inc. Clopay is also the principal supplier of residential garage doors throughout the United States and Canada to The Home Depot, Inc.

The majority of Clopay’s sales are to the home remodeling segment of the residential market, with the balance coming from the new residential housing and commercial building markets. Sales in the home remodeling market are being fueled by garage door replacement, either due to wear and tear or to improve home appearance. Clopay achieved record sales in 2005, surpassing $500 million.

Clopay Building Products is a wholly owned subsidiary of Clopay Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of parent company Griffon Corporation (NYSE: GFF).

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With five manufacturing facilities and 48 distribution centers across the U.S. and Canada, Clopay Building Products is North America’s leading manufacturer of residential garage doors and a leader in the industrial door market. Bringing more than 40 years of leadership to the garage door industry, Clopay Building Products maintains a strong family of brands including Clopay®, Holmes Garage Door Company™ and Ideal Door®. Since 1996, Clopay is the only garage door manufacturer to hold the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.