Site
searches 2 . By Mr. Bob Gumbinner
However,
we were serious about moving the plate manufacturing operations to
Philadelphia. We put an option on a building a few blocks from the
North Philadelphia airport. As I was to be in charge of this plant,
I spent a number of days looking at houses. Jacobs Engineering was
hired to design the line to make the Fotomer presensitized grained
anodized plates. We were buying a large amount of an imidazoldine
for the solution we sold to develop the plates after imaging. Mr.
Halpern insisted that we provide space in this Philadelphia plant for
this and also to make the diazo sensitizers over my objections. The
site where the building was located, although zoned industrial was
not zoned for chemical manufacture. The Philadelphia officials whom
we met assured us that there would be no problem getting a variance.
These included the gentleman who represented the district where the
plant was located. A number of the residents, when they heard the
word “chemical” objected. We invited a group to visit our plant
in Yonkers. There was an election shortly after that and the
incumbent, who supported us, lost. Mr. Halpern would not back down
and we cancelled the purchase option which had a clause that we would
get the zoning change.