Parnu, Estonia; Mt. Elgin, Ontario; Ste. Preuve, France; Valdosta, Georgia and now, Ferndale, New York in the Town of Bethel. ASB Greenworld, an international presence for more than 50 years is making Sullivan County its home. Groundbreaking began in October of 2011 with a slated goal of a grand opening in April 2012.
ASB Greenworld, with headquarters in Ludwigsburg, Germany, known for quality garden products of the highest standards (including mulch and potting soils blends), is building a manufacturing and distribution center right on Lt. Brender Highway in Ferndale, N.Y., the new nesting place for a 19,000 square foot, pre-engineered
building to sit on 54 acres.
To someone not involved with the complicated concept of the site selection process as a crucial part of economic development, (and the competitiveness involved in luring a major manufacturing and distribution company into a New York State community), this one proved that Sullivan County is certainly a competitor. Plant Manager and frontman for ASB Greenworld, Tim Baumann, had nothing but rave reviews for the Sullivan County team comprised of everyone from staff at the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development to include CEO/President Allan Scott and former CEO/President Tim McCausland to local officials in all of the major towns in Sullivan County from town clerk to Supervisor.
“We looked at several states; a team of us drove up to Pennsylvania and Connecticut but, the enthusiasm and hunger expressed by the people we met in Sullivan
County drew us to this site. Michelle Klugman Resnick (Partnership Community Development Coordinator) and Marc Baez (Baez Associates) have been great as has
been everyone we have worked with from day one. We couldn’t ask for a more ideal situation on an excellent parcel of land,” said Baumann.
CEO/President of the Partnership Allan Scott added, “From the inception of this project, we focused on and stressed the importance of a partnership of local businesses, local contractors, local suppliers and local employees – residents of Sullivan County working side by side with ASB to go through the site selection process with the goal of finding the perfect site in the Town of Bethel off Gale Road.”
He continued, “Part of the requirement for this project was a piece of flat property. Ironically, this actual parcel happens to be located in the hilly terrain of our Catskill
Mountains and, to top it off, it’s shovel – ready.”
The Partnership certainly hit a grand slam with this acquisition. As promised, and most importantly, ASB Greenworld is keeping its business local. Local vendors
from pavers such as Sullivan County Paving and electricians from Ross Electric along with companies like Black Bear Heating and Plumbing are playing a key role in making this project a true, local partnership. Even the actual brokering of the land was done with well-known, local businessman Ruby Katz.
Said Scott, “ASB Greenworld will employ only Sullivan County residents; they will use only Sullivan County suppliers and resources; the contractors will all be from Sullivan County including independent truckers who reside in county.”
Along those lines, ASB has gone out of their way to directly contact local contractors and trucking without the use of a broker. Said Scott, “We have witnessed some of the greatest cooperation with regard to respect for local contractors and employees. This is a true partnership. It’s the way the Sullivan County Partnership
strives to pursue its mission; a model for the way we want to do business in this county for this county.”
Municipalities in Sullivan County collectively working together is music to many developer’s ears. As a matter of fact, Scott emphasized that each Supervisor from the
towns of Thompson, Fallsburg and Bethel all vied for this project to land in their town but, all of them were supportive no matter where the project landed as long
as it was in Sullivan County. There’s been a great willingness to support this project because local town supervisors know that any major project in Sullivan County directly effects the overall economy. It’s a no-brainer that this project will lead to job creation and initiate a ripple effect for synergies with local farmers and small businesses.
“Steven Vegliante (Town of Fallsburg Supervisor), Tony Cellini (Town of Thompson Supervisor) and Bethel Supervisor, Daniel Sturm all went out of their way to make this truly a Sullivan County project,” bragged Scott.
Bethel Supervisor Daniel Sturm is honored and pleased to welcome ASB Greenworld to Bethel. “We are very excited about this project. This kind of agribusiness is the kind of growth that fits into Bethel and fits in with our agricultural district; helps our tax base, creates local jobs and opportunities for the future including farming activities. It
truly fits our new zoning laws. I hope this is a continuation of the growth of new agribusiness (like that of the Catskill Distilling Company) in Bethel.”
The ASB Greenworld project promises to create 10 full-time jobs in manufacturing and working with heavy equipment as well as one to two full-time office jobs, a plant manager, and 15 indirect jobs associated with trucking.
Benefits will include paid holidays and vacations, a percentage matched 401K as well as health insurance. The economic ripple effect will radiate out to creative synergies such as using work by-products to include the purchase of wood debris logs from local logging sources and utilizing local outbound trucking and freight providers.
“ASB, along with the Partnership has truly gone the long distance to utilize local businesses and professionals from soup to nuts; something we hope others will emulate,” said Scott.
ASB GREENWORLD QUICK FACTS
• Manufacturer and Distributor of wholesale mulches including colored mulches to major companies such as Wal-Mart, Lowes, and Kmart.
• 20,000 sq foot facility
• $4 million investment
• Based out of Germany
• 3rd Distribution Center in the United States
• More than 50 years of business worldwide
• New Organic Products Launching in 2012
• ASB Greenworld has been synonymous with quality garden products to meet the highest of de?mands. “ASB” translates into “Aurenz Spezial Blumenerde” (Aurenz special potting soil blend) – the first product marketed in the 1950s as a one-man business.
• ASB Greenworld International and Europe represents horticultural products with a high quality standard.
