More activity will be seen at the former Sumitomo Rubber Plant in the Town of Tonawanda, as HOTA Industrial has been announced as the latest tenant into the Hwa Fong Industrial Park.
"This latest tenant addition reflects the continued momentum at Hwa Fong Industrial Park, as site operators remain committed to attracting quality employers and driving economic growth in the Tonawanda community," a spokesperson for Hwa Fong said.
HOTA Industrial designs and manufactures transmission systems and other powertrain components for motorcycles, electric cars, commercial vehicles and robotics. According to Hwa Fong, Taiwan-based HOTA will establish production operations to support U.S. customers at the Tonawanda site.
In total, HOTA expects to generate up to 50 local jobs with its new Tonawanda operations.
Hwa Fong Rubber, also based in Taiwan, bought the former Sumitomo plant for just under $40 million in April. In addition to securing other tenants in the automotive industry, it's expected Hwa Fong will establish a tire making presence of its own at the sprawling nearly 2 million square-foot complex.
The industrial site has a long history of tire manufacturing, as it first opened back in 1923. In November 2024, owner Sumitomo Rubber announced a sudden closure of the plant, leading to 1,500 people losing their jobs.
