PELHAM – Tax abatements for existing Pelham business Extruflex North America were approved by the Pelham City Council at a meeting on Monday, Nov. 19.

The France-based company, which operates in 13 countries and 30 states in the United States, occupies a 20,000 square-foot warehouse on Business Center Drive in Pelham. The company manufactures and distributes flexible PVC strips, sheets and transparent films used to make industrial doors, partitions, flexible windows and more.

Extruflex is expected to make a capital investment of $570,619. Yvonne Murray, managing director of 58 Inc., said the business is increasing its manufacturing operations. New machinery is projected to be placed in service in January 2019. The company will employ an additional eight people at an average annual salary of $37,105.

The city granted a five-year tax abatement of all non-educational property taxes and all construction-related transaction taxes, except for those levied for educational purposes or those for education-related capital improvements.

Murray said the abatement is mainly for the manufacturing equipment being purchased. Some upgrades will be made to the facility, but the footprint of the building will not change.

Abated sales and use taxes amount to $26,832, and abated ad valorem taxes on personal property over the five-year period amount to $12,297. Over the next 10 years, Murray said the business expects to double its revenue.

“This is just one example of the city supporting an existing business,” Murray said. “Not all incentives go to new businesses. We all have a desire to help the businesses already located here to grow and thrive.”

Murray said the move by the Pelham City Council also aligns with that state’s push to increase traded industries, which refers to goods and services that are produced locally and distributed elsewhere to bring new money into an area.