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Jamestown Advanced Products Corp. experiencing record expansion, growth

By Mark Geise

Since October 2020, I have been communicating with the public through this monthly article about all of the great things going on throughout Chautauqua County as they relate to economic development. These commentaries may include discussions about specific projects of public interest that are underway or have been completed, where they are at, and if completed, how they are performing. They may also include discussions about initiatives being undertaken at various agencies or at the County level, including, but not limited to, the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation, the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth, the Chautauqua County Department of Planning & Development, the Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation, the Workforce Development Board, the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau, educational institutions, foundations, or at any one of the many agencies whose mission makes them a critical partner in economic development initiatives throughout the County.

This month I am featuring Jamestown Advanced Products Corporation, a Jamestown-based company that continues to innovate, prosper, and create jobs.

As Jamestown Advanced Products, Corporation approaches nearly four decades in business as an American metal manufacturer, the family-owned company is experiencing record growth and expansion.

Known primarily as a premier manufacturer of campground products and industrial-grade site furnishings throughout North America, Jamestown Advanced Products’ development is due to the growth of camping and the propensity of the public to covet being outdoors, as well as the recent success of two additional divisions — the newly formed Homestead Implements and SevereClean Ultrasonics.

Despite still feeling the impact of the global pandemic, Jamestown Advanced Products launched the brand-new division, Homestead Implements, re-invigorated the existing SevereClean Ultrasonics, and saw record-breaking sales for 2020 in their campground division. Led by an ever-growing sales team, Jamestown Advanced Products capitalized on the nationwide rush to find socially distanced vacation opportunities. That opportunity presented itself in the form of thousands of campgrounds throughout North America.

The company’s foundation, Jamestown Advanced Products, is known throughout the country as a premier manufacturer of commercial-grade site furnishings and campground products. With the recent travel boom to campgrounds, Jamestown Advanced Products is well-poised to see continued year-over-year growth. Campers and travelers can find their products throughout National Parks, KOA campgrounds, and cities, including locally in downtown Jamestown.

As the company progresses, new product lines are in development that will continue to push Jamestown Advanced Products forward in the site furnishing market. This spring marked the release of their brand-new Empire Collection, a modern slim-profile set of furnishings finished with ipe, a Brazilian hardwood known for its durability and beautiful natural hue. The company has also recently joined forces with Recycling Across America to offer a standardized set of labels to their trash receptacles to boost recycling efficiency throughout the country.

Originally planned to launch in February 2020, Homestead Implements delayed the unveiling due to the emergence of COVID-19. Finally launched in July, Homestead Implements experienced an immediate interest that grew throughout the last nine months to reach unexpected heights. The new division, which required a boost of employees and unique processing technology, is on pace for record sales in their first year alone with no end in sight. Co-owner Lee Lodestro stated, “We are continuing to research the market and design new attachments that can improve the impact a tractor can have.” Homestead Implements offers a complete lineup of attachments, including box blades, land planes, landscape rakes, post-hole diggers, brush cutters, and rotary tillers. Still, the best-selling item by far is their set of grapples, a versatile front-end hydraulic attachment taking the tractor world by storm. “Grapples are still fairly new in the tractor scene, and we are proud to offer several variations that combine American labor, unique design traits, and heavy-duty materials,” said Lodestro. “A grapple goes beyond a standard tractor bucket and completely changes the way a tractor owner utilizes their machine around their homestead.”

Lodestro is a lifelong tractor owner and enthusiast that wanted to manufacture and develop a line of heavy-duty tractor attachments for the small-scale farmer and homesteader. With industry giants like Kubota and John Deere experiencing significant lead time delays and supply chain interruptions, the market was ripe for a new player in compact tractor attachments. Homestead Implements attachments are already available at two Chautauqua County equipment suppliers, 3 Seas Recreation in Mayville and Larry Romance & Son in Sheridan. With several other dealer orders placed and plenty of additional inquiries, Homestead Implements is excited at the chance to supply homesteaders throughout the country with high-quality, American-made attachments.

Homestead Implements also offers a 10% Military Appreciation Discount to active-duty and retired members of the United States Military. Additionally, they have partnered with the nationwide non-for-profit Farmer Veteran Coalition organization and their 2021 Farmer Fellowship Fund to donate implements to veterans looking to further their post-military agricultural endeavors. When asked, Lee stated, “As a Navy veteran myself, I was adamant about being able to provide our implements at a discount to other service members. We’ve seen a tremendous influx of orders that are taking advantage of the discount, and the work we are doing with the Farmer Veteran Coalition is just another way we can help support an important cause.”

Another division of the Jamestown Advanced Products’ umbrella, SevereClean Ultrasonics, specializes in designing customized ultrasonic cleaning solutions for an endless array of industrial applications. Still relatively new technology for mainstream manufacturing awareness, ultrasonic cleaning systems replace the harsh chemicals and labor-intensive processing practices of the past in an environmentally friendly package. Led by an experienced sales staff and a creative design team, SevereClean Ultrasonics is excited to begin expanding its product lineup and introducing this powerful technology to companies that can truly benefit.

Ultrasonic cleaning equipment’s primary function is to clean away the endless debris, dust, oils, chemicals, and other residues from the manufacturing process in a far more effective manner than the previous methods. When combined with SevereClean’s proprietary blend of environmentally friendly cleaning agents, companies will immediately notice an impact in their throughput of parts, reduced labor cost, and substantial cost savings. SevereClean has worked with countless industries through the years to provide impeccable results when cleaning materials as small as medical instruments, and as large as transmissions and engine parts for airplanes and select military applications.

Located near the Jamestown Airport, Jamestown Advanced Products, Corp. is excited to continue decades of tradition and usher in a new generation of high-quality products. The company was also recently featured on the long-running Fox Business Network segment Manufacturing Marvels, highlighting the company’s expansive facility and hard-working team. You can view the video on the Jamestown Advanced YouTube channel and their website. With over 140 employees and growing, they remain well-positioned to remain a manufacturing mainstay in Chautauqua County for another forty years.

Mark Geise is Chautauqua’s Deputy County Executive for Economic Development, and CEO of the CCIDA.

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