SPS Technologies pledges to return to Abington. Construction to begin in 2026

From Delco to Chesco and Montco to Bucks, what about life in Philly’s suburbs do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

SPS Technologies is promising to rebuild its aerospace fastener facility in Abington Township, just months after a four-alarm inferno reduced much of the century-old plant to smithereens.

The company presented an early look at its preliminary plan to construct a two-story, 350,000-square-foot facility to more than 100 community members Thursday evening in the Little Theater at Abington Middle School.

“We want to build as green a facility as we can,” said Dan Gear, vice president and general manager of SPS Technologies.

Gear said the facility, which will include manufacturing and office spaces, will have a 30% smaller footprint compared to the old facility, and will incorporate solar panels and other green features to attain LEED certification. Construction on the same plot of land is set to begin in 2026, with a goal to be production-ready by 2028.

Gear said the company will look to bring back some of the employees who were laid off in the aftermath of the fire.

“We want to be very cognizant of being a part of this community,” Gear said.

Company representatives pledged to ensure the facility meets all safety and regulatory standards.

“Speed is important to us, but we’re doing it the right way,” said David Dugan, director of corporate communications for SPS Technologies’ parent company, Precision Castparts Corp.

Residents express support for new SPS plans

Residents in attendance by and large welcomed the return of the facility and offered suggestions for how the company could improve its presence in the community. Those in attendance also offered advice on how SPS could communicate the timeline and logistics during construction.

Kristin Stever, of Glenside, lives close to the facility. She said she is “happy” the company is rebuilding after the fire and thinks that safety regulations will be stronger at the new complex.

“The things that came to light about the factory after the fact that some neighbors didn’t know, and then, of course, the way that the factory burned, it was concerning,” she said. “But I do think that anything that’s going to be built there is going to be built in a more safe, environmentally friendly manner, and I’m happy to see that that’s what the plans are.”

Mitch Gertz, an Abington Township resident who is a former environmental engineer and a member of the township’s Environmental Advisory Council, said SPS Technologies’ rebuilding plans look “very promising,” adding that the company has been receptive to questions on how it will comply with environmental and safety regulations moving forward.

“I’ve been involved in remediation at hazardous waste sites for 30-plus years, so I’m very familiar with what they had to go through in terms of sampling air, water and soil, and they did an outstanding job,” Gertz said. “They hired good firms to do the work, and the results show that there was virtually no contamination as a result of the incident. So that was great news.”

First responders prevented potential ‘mass casualty incident’

The Standard Pressed Steel Company was first incorporated in 1903. The company purchased the 32-acre property at 301 Highland Ave. in 1920 from Wharton Switch Works. Although the parcel has a Jenkintown ZIP code, it is technically within the boundaries of Abington.

In 1978, the company changed its name to SPS Technologies. Precision Castparts Corp., a subsidiary of billionaire Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, purchased SPS in 2003.

The facility in Abington Township was one of the nation’s sole manufacturers of critical, high-tolerance bolts and parts used in U.S. military vehicles — and a key hub for local jobs.

“The aerospace industry cannot survive without SPS,” Gear said. “Nobody else in the world can make these parts.”

A fire erupted inside the facility the evening of Feb. 17. Witnesses reported hearing the sound of an explosion. The Weldon Fire Company arrived on the scene first just as the flames began to breach the roof of the building.

The sprinkler system was inoperable due to maintenance, according to the company, but “alternative fire prevention protocols” were in place. As the inferno began to intensify, more fire companies rushed to the scene.

By the early morning hours, the blaze reached four-alarm status, prompting a number of evacuations, shelter-in-place orders and school closures. There were no reported injuries.

Neighbors worried about the potential impacts to air and water quality presented by the harsh industrial chemicals stored within the facility. However, most of the chemicals were spared from the fire.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection found cyanide in the adjacent Tookany Creek, which is not used for drinking water. Officials did not find any harmful contaminants in the air.

Sixty-eight fire crews from Abington, Cheltenham, Jenkintown and beyond battled the blaze for 114 consecutive hours before finally putting the fire to rest Feb. 22. Abington Police Chief Patrick Molloy told members of the press on Feb. 20 that the swift response from local agencies “prevented what could have been a mass casualty incident.”

“Over 80% of the plant burned down,” Gear said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Gear said the fire originated in the compressed-air system and that there was no foul play. The more than 600,000-square-foot building was left compromised. SPS began demolishing the property in May as air monitoring continued. Demolition is still ongoing.

Impact of SPS fire on local economy and the industry

SPS laid off approximately 250 employees in the aftermath of the incident — many of whom had worked there for more than two decades, sparking outrage from local officials.

The future of the company remaining in Jenkintown was once in doubt. Montgomery County officials from across the political spectrum, including U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pennsylvania, advocated for the business to stay. Her father-in-law previously worked at the site during World War II, when the facility, Gear said, manufactured bullets.

“It’s a real part of the fabric of the community,” said Abington Commissioner Matthew Vahey, who supports the return of SPS Technologies. “And people were concerned emotionally, almost, that they would lose that part of the history. They’re also a huge contributor to the economy.”

“They used to employ 500 people, and hopefully we’ll get back to that level, and those people support our local businesses in Keswick Village and the greater Abington community, so they’re part of the fabric,” Vahey said. “And I think everyone’s relieved to hear that they’re staying.”

Gear said the aircraft community reached out to help when the situation looked grim. The night after the fire, General Electric called SPS executives to provide help. General Electric then paid for a 20,000-square-foot tent that was erected on the site a week later.

Since May, Gear said the company has been working in a temporary, limited fashion to restart its manufacturing process at a facility in Langhorne. But the company has been yearning for a return home.

“We cannot forget the roots of where we came from,” Gear said. The company saved bricks from the original building to use in the facade of the new facility as “a nod to the past,” he added.

SPS is planning to buy all new equipment, install downlighting and establish a mini-museum honoring the history of the plant, Gear said.

Residents welcomed the continued presence of a major employer.

“They’re good neighbors,” said Jay Shire, 68, of Glenside, whose son, son-in-law and stepson are employed by SPS. “From what I understand, after all this … the water has been tested, the air has been tested, everything’s been pretty clean, so I’m hoping they build again.”

Safety, environmental concerns remain surrounding SPS return

A few attendees at Thursday’s meeting expressed reservations about the return of the manufacturer.

Carrie Marshall lives across a field from the former site of the facility on the other side of Highland Avenue with her husband and son. She said she thinks the company should rebuild somewhere farther away from residential areas.

“The concern is environmental … Having a facility that’s doing the type of things that they’re doing so close to residential neighborhoods seems a bit dangerous,” she said. “I feel like we didn’t really realize all of the things and all of the chemicals that they dealt with in their production of what they do, and finding all this out after a big explosion was disconcerting.”

Colby Keyser, of Oakdale Avenue in Glenside, is concerned about smells she said came from the facility before the fire.

Dugan said residents should reach out to the company if they experience any issues.

“We will not spare any expense, and we are not going to cut corners,” Gear said of construction for the new facility.

In 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency handed down a $109,000 fine on SPS for a number of violations regarding its failure to adequately store and label hazardous material.

Amid massive Department of Government Efficiency cuts to several federal agencies, including the EPA, nearby Glenside residents rallied in March for continued government oversight of facilities like SPS.

SPS is still facing litigation that alleges the company’s negligence in upholding “industry standards” played a role in the fire.

On Tuesday, U.S. Judge Mary Kay Costello, of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, granted the parties a motion for a stay of certain deadlines for the class action suit, pending mediation.