Lanco Manufacturing Corp. plans $42M expansion in San Lorenzo
The addition of a second manufacturing line will allow current production to be doubled.
Lanco Paints, an international company with operations in the United States, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, has announced a $42 million expansion of its plant in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, supported by a $4 million injection from the Department of Economic Development and Commerce’s (DDEC, in Spanish) Economic Incentive Fund.
The project will expand the manufacturing of 100% silicone products, particularly roof sealants, doubling the production capacity at the only silicone factory in the Caribbean and Central America. The addition of a second manufacturing line will enable this increase, company officials said.
Lanco Executive Vice President Francisco M. Viejo-López explained that the “manufacturing of solvent products will be expanded with the construction of two new manufacturing plants in order to separate the production of solvent and acrylic latex base products.”
“The new buildings will consist of 70,000 and 25,000 square-feet, respectively. The facilities will be equipped with high-capacity machinery, focused on efficiency and automation,” said Viejo-López.
“At Lanco, we continue to grow and evolve, with the aim of providing the market with top-quality products at an affordable price,” he added.
The expansion will add 20 new jobs to the current 330-employee workforce, said DDEC Secretary Manuel Cidre.
As part of the investment, Lanco will also expand its export operations in the region, Cidre added.
“Exporting is the right strategy for companies, as it exponentially increases their customer base and is beneficial for Puerto Rico due to all the sales generated throughout the world — capital that returns to the island,” Cidre said.
“The Lanco Group believes in Puerto Rico’s potential and in its skilled workforce, which is now expanding with this new investment that, in addition to increasing its capacity to create jobs, increases its infrastructure and solidifies Puerto Rico as its global manufacturing center,” Cidre added.
