Moretto USA LLC has moved its equipment and parts stocking operations from Columbus, Ohio, to larger quarters in Jackson Center, Pa.
"We finished the move on Feb. 27," said Gene Flockerzi, general manager. "Everything is in its spot, and now we can get back to expanding our customer base."
The subsidiary of auxiliary equipment manufacturer Moretto SpA of Massanzago, Italy, acquired a 30,000-square-foot Jackson Center building on 17 acres for $1.2 million and is pursuing the purchase of an adjacent four acres. Jackson Center is in the metropolitan area for Youngstown, Ohio.
Moretto entered the U.S. market in 2015 occupying about 15,000 square feet of rented warehouse space in Columbus. A distance of about 220 miles separates the locations.
"We can expand easily to 90,000 square feet and would have a capability to 200,000 square feet," Flockerzi said in an interview.
Moretto USA can increase the value of its parts and equipment inventory to about $8 million from the previous location's $1 million.
"We have nine employees and look to be at 15 by the end of the year," Flockerzi said. "All of our corporate facility employees are from western Pennsylvania."
Moretto has 20 independent sales representatives across the U.S. and Canada and has made inroads in the packaging, automotive, medical and fiber industry markets.
As for product lines, "it is evenly split across drying, blending and material handling," he said.
At NPE2018, Moretto exhibits in Booth W8545 and also in Booth S17095 showcasing preforms and high-density containers in the trade show's Bottle Zone.