Company looks to grow in Beacon Falls

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BEACON FALLS — A screen printing company will expand into a new home in Beacon Falls.

Holly Sumner and her partner Monica Sumner currently run Liberty Screen Printing Company out of their home in Naugatuck.

The company plans to move its operations to the building at 141 South Main St. in June.

“We’re moving because we’re expanding,” Holly Sumner said.

Liberty Screen Printing, which has been in business since 2004, does screen printings of shirts, jackets and hats.

The space the company will be occupying is just under 4,000 square feet, Holly Sumner said. The company currently has three employees, but has plans to add two more after the move to Beacon Falls.

Holly Sumner said the company looked for locations in Naugatuck but felt Beacon Falls was a better fit.

Beacon Falls Economic Development Commission Chairman Jeremy Rodorigo said he was pleased to welcome the company to the town.

“They have become very successful and outgrown their garage,” Rodorigo said. “We met their needs beautifully.”

Holly Sumner shared Rodorigo’s sentiments, saying the commission was very helpful.

“They got us all ready to go. They were cordial and happy to have us,” Holly Sumner said. “It became a no-brainer to move to Beacon Falls.”

Rodorigo said the building that Liberty Screen Printing is moving into already houses a number of other businesses.

“That building is a great business incubator. It’s a really nice building, and I’m glad people are seeing it’s there and taking advantage of it,” Rodorigo said.

Another reason the company is moving to Beacon Falls is because it qualifies for benefits under the state’s Enterprise Zone program, Holly Sumner said. The building at 141 South Main St. is within the zone.

According to the Department of Economic and Community Development’s website, the Enterprise Zone is a tax abatement program for local personal property taxes. This abatement can start as high as 80 percent, and then tapers out over a designated amount of time.

“It’s beneficial for a business, as you’re trying to grow, to not be hampered by property taxes when you’re trying to create jobs,” Holly Sumner said.

Rodorigo said the town will not lose out even though the company will not be paying the full amount of taxes.

“The town gets some of the tax revenue from the state. It just gets the revenue from another source,” Rodorigo said.

Along with the ability to grow the business, Holly Sumner is looking forward to moving into the building because of it’s directly across from the Naugatuck River.

“We are very excited. It’s going to be nice to after a long, hard day to walk across the street to go fishing,” Holly Sumner said.