Date: Fri 02-Aug-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Danbury-Square-Box-Allen

Full Text:

Box Manufacturer Buys Land In Newtown

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The Danbury Square Box Company, Inc, a manufacturer of corrugated cartons and

gift boxes, has purchased land in Hawleyville Corporate Park and plans to move

its manufacturing, warehousing and office operations from Danbury to

Hawleyville.

The planned new 40,000-square-foot facility will expand the total size of the

company's operations, said John Allen, company president. The company now

operates out of 27,000 square feet of space in two Danbury locations.

"We are built out," Mr Allen said of his firm's lack of expansion space in

Danbury. The Hawleyville site also will provide the company with space for

possible future expansions beyond 40,000 square feet, he said.

Under his grandfather's direction, The Danbury Square Box Company started

business in 1906, Mr Allen said. Mr Allen's two sons, Jack and Mike, work for

the company.

The company began looking for a new location last fall and found the land in

Hawleyville Corporate Park. The parcel the company purchased is on the western

end of the industrial park, not far from Exit 9 of Interstate-84.

The location is appealing because of its proximity to Exit 9, Mr Allen said,

adding it will provide quick access to Waterbury, Bridgeport and other cities.

Barnabas Realty Group of Danbury last week sold Lot 8, consisting of 14.5

acres, in the industrial park to Allen Real Estate Enterprises, LLC, of

Danbury for $370,000. The buyer represents the box company.

Mr Allen said the company has no specific construction schedule for the

building it intends to construct.

Mr Allen said he hopes he's able to gather enough information on the

construction project to go to the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) with

specifics in about two months.

"We certainly want to work with all the commissions," he said.

"This is really good news," First Selectman Robert Cascella said at a news

conference Wednesday attended by Elizabeth Stocker, the town's director of

community development.

"Liz has been working on this for a while," Mr Cascella said.

"Newtown is attracting business. A lot of this has to do with the efforts of

Liz. She has met with representatives of the company, along with the town's

zoning commissioner, economic development chairman, land use and building

departments. We are trying to have a user-friendly environment," Mr Cascella

said.

The Danbury Square Box Company is working with the Connecticut Development

Authority for financing because it plans an expansion project, according to

the first selectman. The company employs 20 people, with another eight to be

hired as part of the expansion project, he said.

Danbury Square Box Company will joins Curtis Packaging and Union-Camp Corp. as

container firms doing business in Newtown.

Mr Allen noted that The Danbury Square Box Company isn't a direct competitor

with either Curtis Packaging or Union-Camp. Union-Camp supplies Danbury Square

Box with raw materials. Danbury Square Box supplies the cartons that it makes

to Curtis Packaging, he noted.

"We'll make Newtown the box-making capital of Connecticut," Mr Allen said.