National Fuel Gas Company is expanding its footprint in Erie with the purchase of a historic office building and approximately 10 acres of property on East Lake Road that will become the company’s primary office location for its Pennsylvania and Ohio regulated operations.
The facility, which once served as the headquarters of the Hammermill Paper Company, will undergo extensive renovations before housing nearly 300 employees. Company officials say the investment underscores National Fuel’s long-term commitment to the Erie region and its growing workforce needs.
The expansion comes as National Fuel prepares for its pending acquisition of a natural gas utility in the Dayton, Ohio area that serves more than 335,000 customers. The anticipated growth associated with the acquisition is driving the need for additional office space.
National Fuel expects to add more than 80 new jobs in Erie over the next year as a result of the acquisition and ongoing business growth.
The East Lake Road campus will serve employees from the company’s regulated utility operations in Pennsylvania and Ohio, as well as personnel from its Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and support service divisions.
The decision follows an extensive property search conducted with the assistance of commercial real estate broker SBRE – Sherry Bauer Real Estate.
Renovations to modernize the former Hammermill facility are expected to take between 10 and 12 months.
As part of the transition, National Fuel has completed the sale of its longtime Erie office building at 1100 State Street. The company will continue leasing the downtown property for approximately one year while work is completed on the new East Lake Road location.
The new owner of the State Street property plans to redevelop the site into a mixed-use project that could bring additional retail and commercial activity to downtown Erie.
National Fuel officials said they will continue working closely with employees and community stakeholders throughout the relocation process to ensure a smooth transition.