Frank Greiner isn't shy.

"You have to be aggressive," he said. "You have to be looking all the time for areas that you can excel in."

That's why his company, Greiner Industries, is spending $6 million to expand its heavy-duty metal-working capabilities.

The company hopes to break ground on the project in May or June. Completion is expected in the first quarter of 2014.

It's expected to lead to six to eight new jobs at the 280-employee business, at 1650 Steel Way in Mount Joy Township.

With the expansion, Greiner Industries will be able to work on larger pieces of metal in its machining division and in its rolling and forming division, Greiner explained.

New state-of-the-art equipment is coming from manufacturers in Italy and South Korea, and perhaps Romania.

"It's all about being able to do the job faster and better than your competitor," he said Thursday.

According to the township, Greiner Industries will add 16,000 square feet to one building and 24,000 square feet to another.

The company's complex, along Route 283, already has 356,000 square feet under roof.

In November, the township Zoning Hearing Board approved two requests from Greiner Industries for the project.

The firm won a variance allowing more impervious coverage and a special exception allowing the specialized industrial use.

In December, the township Planning Commission approved the firm's request to waive the requirement for a land development plan to be submitted.

Greiner Industries only needs to obtain a building permit and pay fees related to the project to complete the approval process, explained Steve Gault, township administrator.

Gault said the township is supporting the expansion because Greiner Industries provides well-paying jobs and tax revenue without burdening township infrastructure.

"It's a net benefit to the township and our residents," Gault said.

Greiner, who started the company in a one-car garage at his house in 1976, said that while state-of-the-art machinery is essential, his employees are "our greatest asset."

"We need to have the equipment," he said, "but we need good employees to do the work."
tmekeel@lnpnews.com