Gov. Shapiro promotes Martin's Potato Rolls expansion as 'model' for state

Hours before he planned to end Passover with a Martin's Potato Roll, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro visited the Franklin County bread manufacturer Tuesday to promote its $120 million expansion project.

Standing before an audience of Martin's executives, local politicians, business leaders and others outside the plant's 260,000-square-foot addition off Wayne Road east of Chambersburg, Shapiro said his administration, through the Department of Community and Economic Development, was giving Martin's a $635,000 Pennsylvania First grant to support the cost of construction, plus $35,000 for employee training and equipment.

"We were proud to not only provide some resources but we were also proud to cut through the red tape and make government work in concert with Martin's and not in opposition to it," Shapiro said.

Martin's has expanded its Chambersburg facility multiple times since the company's humble beginnings as a bakery in a garage in 1955, as President Tony Martin described. His father's vision to put products in grocery stores "propelled us to where we are today," but government bureaucracy and red tape have been hurdles, he said.

As the company enters its next chapter with a new production line, it will serve as a model of how Pennsylvania's government can help businesses grow more quickly.

“Investing in a company like Martin's creates a ripple effect throughout our economy," Shapiro said. "It boosts our agricultural enterprise and it also boosts our transportation sector across the commonwealth. More farmers are getting paid for their potatoes and their produce, more truckers are getting called on to get these really good rolls to market.

"It shows us what is possible here in Pennsylvania when a family has a vision and works together with the government and investors and the local community and the county in order to make it grow and succeed. This is the type of success I want to see us replicate all over Pennsylvania."

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Production line supports international growth

The new production line, for which construction began about two years ago, is expected to go online on May 15, Martin's President Tony Martin said in response to a question from the Public Opinion. Shapiro previously said the company was adding 27 employees.

"We saw our food service business was growing, primarily on the international side, and our expertise here is local, so we felt the best thing to do was build it here," he said. "We also built at the same time a freezer location for product that is shipped here in the US and overseas. So that is primarily what this line is designed to do. Basically we built half a line and it has room for us to continue to expand as that market continues."

Mike Ross, president of the Franklin County Area Development Corp., said he anticipates the company will need to expand again in about five years if all goes well.

"This is one of the more important expansions that have been undertaken," he told the Public Opinion after the event. "The capital investment — it's a homegrown company making an investment. They're a stalwart for the community. And to have the governor come down and celebrate their success is impressive."

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Martin's expansion highlights bipartisanship

"This is a moment to come together, Democrats and Republicans alike, to be able to lift up (this) example of what's possible," Shapiro said in his prepared remarks.

Notably, Martin's was the target of a nationwide boycott after it was reported that Martin's leaders and family members donated to Republican Doug Mastriano, a Trump supporter and election denier who ran against Shapiro for Pennsylvania governor. Mastriano, of Greene Township, is also a state senator for Franklin County.

Martin and Shapiro both described putting business over politics.

"I don't care who Tony supported. ... I'm a governor for all Pennsylvanians, and Martin's is a critically important business in Pennsylvania," Shapiro said in response to a reporter's question about the political divide. "They had a great plan, we were proud to work with them to execute on it and I hope more and more people around the commonwealth, the country and the world get a chance to eat these darn good rolls as a result of their expansion."

Martin commended Shapiro and his team for their work with the company.

"We may not agree on everything. But we agree on business. And we agree on helping Pennsylvania," Martin said. "And it's more important than politics when you want to help the people you're serving. We have customers, we want to serve them well and his customers are the people here in Pennsylvania."

Franklin County commissioners Dean Horst, a Republican, and Bob Ziobrowski, a Democrat, were among the politicians and local leaders present at the event. Martin said they, as well as attendees Don Clapper, Guilford Township supervisor, Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce President Steve Christian and Ross were key to connecting Martin's with the state resources.

Worker died during construction of addition

Martin's expansion was the site of a construction worker's death nearly two years ago.

Steven Garrett Graby, a 30-year-old from Lancaster County, was found dead in the rubble hours after several interior walls collapsed on Aug. 30, 2022.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration did not cite Martin's or any of the companies involved in the construction. However, OSHA did recommend Graby's employer, High Structural Erectors, of Lancaster, take steps to improve safety.

Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Pennsylvania governor: Martin's Potato Rolls expansion 'model' for Pa.