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The Fujitec America elevator and escalator manufacturing company is moving its U.S. headquarters from Lebanon to Mason.

Kenny Yamashiro, president of Fujitec, told Mason City Council on Monday, July 14, that his company will be focusing on the "brains" of its elevator systems in the future, so the company doesn't need all the space it currently inhabits near Ohio 48 in

Lebanon.

In March, Fujitec sold the 124-acre property where it is currently headquartered to Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions for $16 million

because the space is too large. The plant is 180,000 square feet and the office is 53,860 square feet.

Ben McNab of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, Fujitec's real estate broker, said they looked all over the region

for a suitable location and the old Borden building on Innovation Way fits their needs perfectly.

"The Borden building met our list of building standards to a 'T'," McNab said. "It is a very square hole that fits a very square peg, completely."

Mason also offered the all-important tax incentive — a 10-year tax abatement on the value of the improved property — which sealed the deal, according to McNab.

The company will first invest $4 million in renovating the old Borden building and then move in 109 employees. Payroll for these employees, who make an average of $65,000 a year, will amount to $7.1 million. Mason estimated the company will bring $1.2 million worth of new revenue to the local economy.

Michele Blair, Economic Development director for Mason, said moving to Mason fits in with Fujitec's future.

"When they first built that plant in Lebanon it was their world's largest manufacturing operation for elevators and escalators," she said. "But as the company has evolved and changed its direction, their focus has shifted to not all the heavy manufacturing, essentially the brawn of the elevator business, to the brain. The new technology is what they will be focusing on."

Michele Phelps, marketing director for Fujitec, said the company actually will still be able to use the specialized tower in Lebanon for research and development. They have negotiated a long-term lease with CBTS.

"The building houses one escalator and four elevator shafts," she said. "We can install new equipment and run tests on them. This is a great tool for testing new products or to provide training."

Fujitec still is negotiating contracts on the Borden building, but they hope to move into the building in early 2009.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4525 or dcallahan@coxohio.com.