GapVax showcases growth and hiring plans at customer open house in Johnstown

# What happened GapVax, a Johnstown manufacturer of industrial vacuum trucks and sewer-cleaning equipment, hosted a semiannual customer open house. The event gave customers a chance to see new products, tour the recently expanded facility in the Moxham section of the city, and speak with parts vendors.

# Why the expansion Company leaders said growth of about 10 to 15 percent per year created capacity constraints, including shortages of plant space and employee parking. When neighboring owners of the old mill property refused to sell a single parcel, GapVax purchased the remainder of the site: a 35-acre property with about 250,000 square feet of manufacturing space that once belonged to U.S. Steel on Central Avenue.

# How the site will be used Part of the former roll shop building is being converted into a 30,000 square foot service and maintenance facility. Company representatives described this as an immediate source of new jobs and part of a phased redevelopment plan: once one building is refurbished, work will begin on the next. GapVax also plans to add a product development center and a new welding shop as part of continued expansion.

# Hiring and workforce structure GapVax is structured as an ESOP, with around 30 percent of the business owned by approximately 200 employees. The company said it will continue to hire to support the new service facility and future shop expansions. The marketing manager cited an initial hiring target of five to ten mechanics for the service building, with more positions to come as additional spaces are brought online.

# Event details and customer outreach The open house served multiple purposes: it gave potential and current customers hands-on exposure to the latest products, allowed tours of the plant layout and finished equipment, and enabled direct conversations with the vendors who supply parts and components. Company leaders used the event to present their expansion plan to stakeholders and to show how new facilities will support after-sales service and in-house development.

# What this means locally The acquisition and redevelopment of the former mill property repurposes industrial space in Johnstown and creates near-term openings for mechanics and maintenance staff. Because the company is partially employee-owned, new hires become part of a workforce with shared ownership stakes. The phased approach to renovation indicates incremental job growth tied to completed construction and facility readiness.

# Bottom line GapVax is responding to steady revenue and production growth by buying and repurposing adjacent mill property, converting an old roll shop into a service center, and planning additional product development and welding facilities. The company expects to hire several technicians immediately and more as the expansion proceeds. The open house functioned as a practical showcase for customers and suppliers while signalling ongoing investment in local manufacturing capacity.