City of Reading officials joined leaders from Ethosource and Wyatt Seating on Wednesday to announce a $6.5 million redevelopment project that will transform a long-vacant industrial property along Kutztown Road into a manufacturing, operations, and office facility.
The project will redevelop a 109,000-square-foot factory and office building at 2047 Kutztown Road, which officials said has sat vacant for several years. Ethosource and Wyatt Seating plan to relocate and expand operations from Morgantown and Wyomissing to the site, with operations expected to begin in fall 2026.
Company officials said the investment reflects a long-term commitment to Reading and confidence in the city’s future.
“Today, we’re planting our roots right here,” said John Gallen, president of Ethosource and Wyatt Seating, during the announcement ceremony. “We saw potential in the building, potential in our neighborhood, and potential in the city.”
The companies currently employ about 60 full-time workers, many of whom live in Reading, according to officials. Gallen said the move is expected to support future growth and expanded hiring opportunities.
The announcement brought together city, county, and state leaders, including Reading Mayor Eddie Morán, Berks County Commissioners, State Sen. Judy Schwank, and Pennsylvania Deputy Secretary of Community and Economic Development Rick Vilello.
Gallen said Ethosource began 25 years ago in a rented warehouse and has since grown into a nationwide office furniture dealer and remanufacturer. Wyatt Seating, founded in 2017, manufactures office seating products.
“Our 60 employees are here today,” Gallen said. “This move is about more than this building. It’s about belief — belief in our people, belief in investing in an old industrial building that’s been vacant for a few years, and belief, most importantly, in the city of Reading.”
Nat Gallen, who also spoke during the ceremony, said the move continues a multigenerational connection between his family and Reading.
“For more than 100 years, there have been people on both sides of our family working in the city of Reading and leading businesses in the city of Reading,” he said. “This is the beginning of the next generation for our businesses, for my family, and for commerce in the city of Reading.”
Morán called the project a major step forward for the city and praised the companies for choosing Reading for the expansion.
“This facility that sat vacant for years is now being brought back to life as a center for manufacturing operations and innovation,” Morán said. “That’s what progress looks like in the city of Reading.”
The mayor said the city has worked to create a more business-friendly environment through improvements in permitting and development processes, adding that the project demonstrates what can happen through collaboration between government, businesses, and community organizations.
“This project sends a strong message about Reading,” Morán said. “We are open for business. We are ready for investment.”
Berks County Commissioner Christian Leinbach described the redevelopment as “transformative,” noting that businesses have historically moved out of the city rather than into it.
“Taking a building that people wondered if it would ever be a productive use again and moving your business from Morgantown, your headquarters from Wyomissing, here to this location — that’s transformative,” Leinbach said.
Schwank said the project represents the kind of investment that can help revitalize neighborhoods and strengthen local economic development.
“Local family-owned businesses are the backbone of our community,” Schwank said. “There’s not a place in Berks County where this kind of investment makes a bigger difference than right here in the city of Reading.”
Vilello connected the project to Reading’s broader economic recovery and efforts to attract investment following years of financial struggles and population decline.
“When you look at a building that’s behind me and see an investment and a mission statement about people, that changes momentum,” Vilello said. “That changes the conversation.”
Following the ceremony, attendees were invited inside the building for tours of the property, which company officials said will undergo extensive interior and exterior renovations as part of the redevelopment project.
