ATAS International plans to nearly double the size of one of its manufacturing facilities in the Lehigh Valley that produces metal panels used in building construction.
The addition, celebrated at a groundbreaking ceremony on May 6, will increase the size of one of ATAS’ Upper Macungie Township locations by 53,000 square-feet, taking it from 65,000 square-feet to 118,000 square-feet. It will allow for additional metal forming equipment and employees to support ATAS’ continually expanding product line. 
ATAS International is a family-owned business that grew from a siding and trim installer to an industry leading manufacturer of metal panels for the building envelope. It has 200 employees and a total of 645,000 square-feet of space at its Lehigh Valley headquarters and several other locations across the United States.
Aluminum Trim and Shapes was founded in 1963 by Jacobus “Jack” P. Bus in his home’s basement in Rochester, N.Y. It opened its Lehigh Valley location in 1984 and then expanded in 1999. ATAS International constructed a second manufacturing facility nearby in 2005, which is the one being expanded now.
One of the products that ATAS manufactures is InSpire, a solar air heating metal wall panel, as a simple, economical solution for reducing carbon emissions and energy costs. The metal wall panels have precision-lanced micro perforations that create solar air heating. The panel is mounted a few inches from the building’s outer wall. Solar heated air at the surface of the panel is drawn through the perforations where it rises between the two walls and enters the building’s central ventilation system or supply fan. The InSpire panels are installed on the existing building where the groundbreaking ceremony was held and will also be installed on the expansion of that building.
“Lehigh Valley is growing. Lehigh Valley is very, very important to us because 50% of our workforce comes from Lehigh Valley. So, this is home for us right now. We're not leaving here,” President Dick Bus said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
ATAS International is now led by the second and third generations of the Bus family, and several children representing the fourth generation attended the groundbreaking event.
Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong thanked the Bus family for their continued investment in the community.
“This is a business that is multiplying, this is a business that is definitely helping Lehigh Valley, Lehigh County, become one of the best places in the state to not only live, but work,” Armstrong said.
Robert Ibach, Upper Macungie Township Manager, congratulated ATAS International on its expansion, on behalf of the township’s Board of Supervisors.
“We can't thank the Bus family enough for choosing Upper Macungie and the Lehigh Valley as their home, for having all these employees, to be part of our community,” he said.
Rich Hobbs, President & CEO of the Manufacturers Resource Center, which provides training and consulting to help manufacturers grow, said ATAS International is one of the best and largest users of its services. He said the region has a strong manufacturing economy, representing 16% of the Lehigh Valley’s $50 billion Gross Domestic Product, and ATAS International is a big part of that.
The company has a long history of opening its doors to students at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, so they can gain experience in manufacturing through job shadowing, internships, and co-ops.
Sean Will, LCTI’s Director of Student Services, congratulated the company on its expansion and thanked the Bus family for its commitment to working with students.
“We look forward to all the achievements resulting from this expansion, enhanced opportunities that will be available to students in Lehigh County and beyond,” Will said.
Editor's Note: Last year, Lehigh Valley Insider published a Lehigh Valley Suite Spot Q&A with ATAS International's Dick and Jim Bus. Read it here.
(Photo courtesy of ATAS International)