Promotional products firm PPD&G wins tax breaks for $8.5 million expansion

A manufacturer of promotional products and gifts would move from Farmingdale to Hauppauge as part of an $8.5 million plan to buy and renovate a larger building, executives said on Thursday.

Printing, Packaging, Displays And Gifts, or PPD&G, hopes to purchase 145 Kennedy Dr., which is nearly 40,000 square feet. The company now operates from 21,700 square feet at 180 Central Ave. in East Farmingdale.

The project would add at least 12 jobs in the next two years to PPD&G’s workforce of 52. The new jobs would pay $38,100 per year, on average, records show.

PPD&G is jointly owned by Jonathan Rovner and Taylor Tadmor. The men also are the majority owners of two other manufacturers in Hauppauge: Tekweld Solutions Inc., which makes branded promotional products, and Premium Shop, which makes pet products.

Together, the three companies have more than 400 employees.

On Thursday, PPD&G received preliminary approval for $296,920 in tax breaks for its expansion project from the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency. 

The property-tax savings would be $239,430 over 10 years, or a 27.5% reduction. The company would pay $631,230 in taxes over the period. 

When PPD&G was founded nearly 30 years ago much of its manufacturing work was done by overseas subcontractors.

“Everything we’ve done since then has been to bring it in house…We’re making a move to bring more manufacturing into the United States and specifically to Long Island,” Rovner said at the IDA meeting.

Without the IDA's help, he said PPD&G wouldn’t buy the Hauppauge building.

“We have explored other options such as moving to Florida, New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania where the costs-per-square-foot is significantly lower,” Rovner said.

PPD&G does printing and packaging for e-commerce companies, manufactures displays for fashion houses, prints business cards and brochures for large corporations and turns out packaging for consumer products companies.

Rovner said PPD&G would consider installing solar panels on the roof of the Kennedy Drive building.

“It’s very much of interest to our company to explore that,” he said in response to a question from IDA chairwoman Sarah Lansdale.

She said County Executive Edward P. Romaine wants the agency to encourage businesses to pursue renewable energy, such as the installation of solar panels.

Kelly Murphy, the IDA’s executive director and CEO, added that it wants to support manufacturers such as PPD&G because they provide good-paying jobs to county residents and often purchase supplies locally. “Their move to a new facility will not only enhance their operations but also create new job opportunities,” she said in an interview.

PPD&G’s sister companies have won tax breaks from the Islip Town IDA for facilities at 45 Rabro Dr. and 85 Nicon Dr., both in Hauppauge, according to state records.

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.