WILKES-BARRE – Itoh Denki unveiled the expansion to its U.S. headquarters in Hanover Industrial Park on Monday, hailing Northeastern Pennsylvania’s growing role in a global economy.
The day was a multi-national occasion for Itoh Denki, which produces motorized conveyor rollers and modules and was founded in 1946 in Japan. Both its American and Japanese officials gathered to tour the newly expanded facility, along with representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Japan External Trade Organization and the Japanese Consulate in New York.
The ceremony began with playings of the national anthems of the United States and Japan and speeches delivered by company dignitaries.
Ted Itoh, president and an owner of Itoh Denki, called Itoh Denki USA the company’s “most important overseas asset” and “truly a keystone” for its business. He said the company was making a “strong commitment… to make our business presence bigger here, in the United States.”
Richard Kosik, the president of Itoh Denki USA, said Wilkes-Barre was an ideal location for the company’s headquarters. He cited its relative proximity to local airports and other major metropolitan areas on the East Coast, helping the company build a strong relationship with clients, including American Eagle and the U.S. Postal Service. The Wilkes-Barre area, Kosik also offered a strong workforce and low business expenses.
“The location has been great, it’s been perfect for the customers that we have.” Kosik said. “If you order anything from American Eagle, if you receive a piece of mail, we had a little bit of a part in making that happen.”
With the expansion, Kosik said Itoh Denki, which currently has 55 employees, will create about 30 new jobs in the region.
Rick Siger, the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, said Itoh Denki epitomized how foreign companies can invest in the commonwealth, providing jobs and opportunities for local communities.
“I believe it is a great model for how, not just Japanese companies, but companies from all over the world can succeed here in Pennsylvania,” Siger said.
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Pennsylvania Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development Rick Siger speaks at Itoh Denki at the Hanover Industrial Estates in Hanover Twp. Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Pennsylvania Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development Rick Siger speaks at Itoh Denki at the Hanover Industrial Estates in Hanover Twp. Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Siger maintained the Shapiro administration was dedicated to helping companies like Itoh Denki succeed in Pennsylvania, extolling its efforts to making permitting and licensing processes more efficient.
“Like you, we like to get stuff done,” Siger said to Itoh Denki officials, repeating a mantra Gov. Josh Shapiro embraced after repairing a collapsed section of I-95 in 2023.
Kazuma Yamamoto, the director of the economic division of the Consulate General of Japan in New York, spoke to the growth of Itoh Denki and its partnership with Northeast Pennsylvania. Itoh Denki’s investment in the United States, with its sophisticated logistic operations, helped the company pioneer new motorized-driven rollers and build interests in markets in Europe as well as Japan and throughout Asia.
Yamamoto called the expansion a “testament to the company’s tireless efforts” and evidence of the “strong trust it has cultivated in the local community over many years.” He said he believed the success of companies like Itoh Denki could serve as an example of how to build vital commercial relations between Japan and the United States – and especially the Keystone State.
“I believe the company’s continued success will only deepen the partnership between Japan and the United States,” I am especially optimistic about the outlook of closer ties between Japan and Pennsylvania given the steady growth in Japanese investment in the commonwealth.”
Itoh Denki USA incorporated in Pennsylvania in 1996 and began manufacturing in 1997. Its original location was about a half mile away from its current headquarters, with the company leasing space from Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services. It relocated to its current location, which Mericle built, in 2015.
The expansion is an approximately $10 million investment, Kosik said, adding 74,000 square feet to an original facility area of 46,000 square feet. Company officials said the business has grown tremendously due to the demand for savings in energy costs such as that which Itoh Denki rollers offer. Kosik said the company is now shipping every two weeks what it had shipped total in its first year.
Richie Kosik, the vice president of operations at Itoh Denki USA, said the company’s growth could provide benefits to local students. He said the company brought on students from Hanover Area High School as interns, and was able to offer job opportunities after graduation. He added the company has held conversations with Luzerne County Community Colleges about a partnership, and has also reached out to to other colleges in the area.
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