Family-owned construction company breaks ground in NT

Ivy Lea Construction broke ground Thursday, May 26, for its new 10,000-square-foot office and warehouse facility at 765 Walck Road, North Tonawanda.

Local officials, including those from Niagara County and the City of North Tonawanda, as well as Lumber City Development Corp. and the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas welcomed the company's owners to their new home.

"I welcome Ivy Lea Construction here to the City of North Tonawanda," North Tonawanda Mayor Arthur G. Pappas said. "This company has been a mainstay in Western New York for many years in home improvement. We are much honored to have such a successful company choosing our city in providing jobs and strengthening business within the community."

The $1 million facility received support from the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency, which authorized $100,153 in total incentives for a payment in lieu of taxes program.

The second generation, family-owned construction company will support 40 employees and offers rehabilitation services for homes, including installation of kitchens, bathrooms and home additions, as well as roofing, siding, windows, doors, furnaces and hot water tanks. It also has its own concrete and insulation divisions.

"Ivy Lea Construction is excited to build a new company headquarters in North Tonawanda in 2016," said Mike Washington, president of Ivy Lea Construction.

"The city has been very welcoming and supportive of our company and we're looking forward to becoming members of this community. The growth we see in North Tonawanda is very exciting and Ivy Lea Construction is proud to be a part of it. We look forward to a long run of being the leading home improvement company in all of Western New York based in the City of North Tonawanda!"

The company has been based out of the Town of Tonawanda since 1987. One of the biggest benefits of moving it to North Tonawanda is the "location," - "To be able to get from our home base, all the way across all of Western New York, since we service from the north to the south and everywhere in between, to be able to get to the thruways quickly, to get to distribution spots (easier)," Washington said.

He noted several of the company's distributors are located in North Tonawanda, "So we're really excited to be able to get here. It will definitely make us more efficient."

The new site will consist of almost 5.5 acres of land and, Washington said, "In our current location, we have about 3,500 square feet and we only have one acre there. ... So we have plenty of room for growth as far as land to put up more storage if we need it or more office space if we need it."

The new facility will be built on vacant property purchased from the City of North Tonawanda.

"We can't tell you how thrilled we are to have your company come into this area," Pappas said. "You can see this land is going to be put to good use now after sitting rather idle for many, many years."

"On Walk Road, especially in this stretch, we have seen way more things torn down than built," said Richard L. Andres, Niagara County legislator and a North Tonawanda native. "This is part of that come back story that North Tonawanda is and has been trying to narrate for a lot of years."

Tribune Editor Lauren Zaepfel contributed to this report.

Ivy Lea Construction administrators, along with local officials and supporters, break ground at the company's new site at 765 Walck Road, North Tonawanda. (Photos by Lauren Zaepfel)