Saint-Gobain ADFORS celebrates 50th anniversary in Albion

Business started as Bayex and has grown significantly in half century to over 200 employees

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – It was a day of celebration and reconnecting at Saint-Gobain ADFORS on Wednesday. The company marked 50 years in the Albion community.

The top photo shows long-time employees who are now retired. They started when the Albion site was Bayex. From left include Ted Grimes, 41 years of service; Gary Narburgh, 44 years; Keith Sabo, 42 years; John Tower, 30 years; Darryl Szklany, 29 years; Francis Dibley, 35 years; and Gary Bloom, 39 years.

“It was a good company,” Grimes said. “No one wanted to leave.”

This group said there was strong camaraderie among the employees which made they want to go to work. They credited Joel Allen, the plant manager for many years of their tenure, for being a great boss and leader.

Saint-Gobain ADFORS has done multiple expansions over the years, from the initial 45,000-square-foot plant and 13 employees to 181,000 square feet and 222 employees.

Saint-Gobain ADFORS expanded the plant at 14770 East Ave. with new space added in 1985, 1995 and 2008. The company also uses a building a Route 98, the former Remley Printing site, as a warehouse.

Gary Narburgh holds a photo from when the company opened a new manufacturing plant in Albion in July 1976. Narburgh started working there a month later and stayed for 44 years.

“It was local and they were always good to you,” he said.

Saint-Gobain ADFORS opened the doors for the public to tour the plant on Route 31. The company makes many building and construction products.

Provided photo: State Assemblyman Steve Hawley presented a citation to the company for its 50 years of commitment in Albion. Accepting the citation are Tyler Lombard, an HR recruiting and staffing specialist at Saint-Gobain ADFORS; and Constance Wadsworth, human resources manager.

“Achieving 50 years of business is easy feat,” Hawley stated in the citation. “Saint-Gobain ADFORS has served the Orleans County community and beyond with economic growth and stable employment and has initiated excellence through five decades of hardworking and dedicated individuals producing materials that make businesses and governments alike more efficient and lives more sustainable.”

This self-adhesive drywall tape is among the products made at Saint-Gobain ADFORS in Albion.

The company manufactures technical textiles for the construction industry, manufacturing the consumer drywall tape product FibaTape, along with reinforcement materials sold to other manufacturing companies for the production of cement board, carpet backing, and road reinforcement.

Community members were able to tour the manufacturing space. Here they see a large machine that cuts dry wall tape into smaller sizes.

This photo shows many spools of polyester.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Rochester served lunch to about 475 people. Saint-Gobain ADFORS invited employees, retirees and their families for the celebration. They also were treated to LuGia’s Ice Cream and live music by the Who Dats.

The company wanted a big celebration to thank their employees for their hard work over the years.

“It’s a big milestone, especially for this community,” said Constance Wadsworth, human resources manager. “A lot of places have been shutting down or moving south.”

This display shows some of the Saint-Gobain ADFORS products in a typical home.