Salvage Company Expanding

Brandenburg Industrial Services, a salvage company that imploded Veterans Stadium and tore down 4 million square feet of Bethlehem Steel, plans a $10 million-plus expansion to its Bethlehem, PA, plant and is expected to become the second tenant to build in the new Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VII.

The plans, submitted this month to city planners, call for the expansion of Brandenburg's South Side building, the construction of three buildings, and the addition of two diesel fuel stations with underground tanks and infrastructure so the company can receive rail shipments.

Officials of the 37-year-old Chicago company say Bethlehem's central location to its target areas — Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Delaware — and easy access to major highways make the old Steel site Brandenburg's top choice.

''The site also has rail access, which is essential to our recycling operations,'' said John Webb, Brandenburg's business development representative. ''We researched several other locations, but expanding in Bethlehem was the most attractive option.''

The plans come as good news to city officials who are monitoring the redevelopment of its once largest taxpayer, Bethlehem Steel.

Brandenburg opened its Bethlehem facility in 1995 to support the work it was doing for Bethlehem Steel, which shut down its blast furnaces that same year. It has since become the home of the Mid Atlantic Division for Brandenburg, which offers demolition, environmental remediation and site preparation services.

Brandenburg has a metal recycling facility a half-mile from the Bethlehem office and plans to move it to LVIP VII.

The expansion, Webb said, will lead to more jobs, especially for those with an engineering or business background.

If all goes smoothly with the planning process, Webb expects construction to begin in the fall and finish in a year.

City officials say the redevelopment project was made possible with the construction of Commerce Center Boulevard, a $13 million road being built as an entrance from Route 412 into LVIP VII. The money, which also paid for a new railroad bridge, comes from the Northampton County's $111 million bond issue in 2001. Morning Call