2016 brought several new business openings and expansions in the area.

Among the top stories was the opening of Sharp Compliance Inc. in Nesquehoning, the expansion of Ampal in Palmerton, and a new restaurant moved into the Tamaqua Train Station.Sharps opens for businessTexas-based medical waste processing company, Sharps Compliance Inc., opened its first northeast facility a couple months ago in a 40,000-square-foot shell building at 600 Industrial Road, Nesquehoning. The building is owned by the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corp. Sharps is leasing it with the option to buy."We picked Carbon County as the site because the community was so inviting and really helped us with the process of putting our facility in place," said David Tusa, chief executive officer and president of Sharps Compliance. "It was just a great experience and we're really proud and pleased to be here."Sharps renovated the space for nearly $2 million, but it holds both the processing and distribution of products to clients along the East Coast.The new facility will take in about 4 million pounds of medical waste per year. The waste will be sterilized in an autoclave, and then ground up into tiny pieces like confetti. The confetti-like pieces will be taken to a plant in New Jersey to be incinerated to create electricity.Nearly 70 percent of the water used in the autoclave will also be recaptured and reused. This will reduce the amount of wastewater going into the sewer system.AMPAL expandsAmpal Inc., an aluminum alloy powder producer in Lower Towamensing Township, announced in May that it plans to expand its facilities by 50 percent. That expansion involved purchasing the former Great American Pellet Co. next door and renovating the facility to fit their needs and a 27,000 square-foot warehouse.The project will be completed by January 2018 and will cost about $5 million, said Niels Nielson, the company's senior vice president.Ampal decided to pursue the expansion when one of its large clients expanded and needed more products."There's a real interest in reducing the weight in cars," he said. "This is big for us. It's a really important part of what we do."The company plans to move four laboratory workers from the Flemington office to the Palmerton site in 2017 to begin working there.New restaurant opens in Tamaqua DepotPlans for a new restaurant in the historic 1874 Tamaqua Train Station were revealed in March. Within months, Tamaqua Station Restaurant opened its doors and is now taking reservations.The restaurant is being run by John and Melanie Ross of New Ringgold, who owned Madeline's Restaurant in Orwigsburg, before it burned down in 2012. It was voted "Best Restaurant in Schuylkill County" three years in a row."The Rosses have a lifetime of experience in the restaurant business," said Dale Freudenberger, Save Our Station secretary.The menu includes burgers and wings, salmon, crabcakes, steaks, sandwiches, soups, salads and more. They are open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Call 570-668-3800 for reservations.REV Group purchases KMEAlthough purchased by a Florida manufacturer, Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. is coming out on top with several multivehicle orders.According to recent news releases, KME offered its customers discounted pricing "tag-on" additional equipment purchases, which resulted in several additional purchases.The Los Angeles County Fire Department ordered 20 custom pumpers in July. The department already has hundreds of KME products.Then in November, the city and county of Honolulu purchased two more 101-foot tractor drawn aerial trucks and 10 custom pumpers. Similarly, the Orange County Fire Authority tagged onto their 2015 purchase an additional six 101-foot tractor drawn aerial trucks and 10 custom pumpers. This is in addition to the dozens already in service."Tag-on's such as these are often part of a long-term purchasing agreement that allow customers to increase safety, efficiency and cost for multiple years, while minimizing the expense and delays of repetitive procurement processes," KME said on its website.KME was acquired in April by REV Group Inc.The company said KME headquarters and primary manufacturing operations were to remain in Nesquehoning, but John Kovatch III, the president & CEO, would be stepping down. The transaction was completed in the second quarter of 2016.Both REV Group and KME are manufacturers of specialty vehicles for commercial, fire, emergency and recreation markets. KME was founded in 1946 and has grown to more than 800 associates with company operations in Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York and California and has facilities in Roanoke, Virginia; Ontario, Canada; Albany, New York; and Rockaway, New Jersey.St. Luke's expandsIt's been an exciting, productive year for St. Luke's University Health Network with the opening of its newest hospital in Monroe County on Oct. 13."Many of you watched the construction of this new hospital each time you drove along Route 611," said St. Luke's Monroe Campus President Don Seiple."I promise you that better health care is not just our message; it's our word."In all, St. Luke's has opened or expanded 16 sites throughout the Lehigh Valley, Poconos, Carbon County and Warren, New Jersey.Locally, St. Luke's Miners Campus Rural Health Centers earned the 2016 Rural Program of the Year distinction from the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health in November.The SLM Rural Health Clinics were nominated for the award by Kelly Malone, executive director of the Schuylkill United Way.Physical Therapy at St. Luke's, formerly located in a plaza across West Penn Pike, relocated to a bigger facility across the street.St. Luke's Medical Offices at 2092 West Penn Pike, New Ringgold near the intersection of routes 895 and 309, offers walk-in care, outpatient physical therapy, on-site diagnostic testing, including lab and X-ray services, and occupational medicine services to local employers.To date, St. Luke's consists of seven hospitals, more than 200 outpatient facilities, and more than 10,000 employees including 1,341 physicians in over 100 specialties. Each year, the hospital admits 61,000 people and sees 229,000 in its emergency rooms facilities in Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Monroe counties and in Warren County, New Jersey.St. Luke's University Health Network operates the oldest School of Nursing in the nation and 22 graduate medical educational programs. In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke's created the region's first medical school.Leiby's restaurant plans reopeningThe process is slow, but descendants of the original Leiby's Dairy plan to reopen Leiby's Ice Cream House and Restaurant.Originally set for the end of this year, the reopening is expected to happen in 2017.According to the restaurant's website, "… Nearly 12 months later, the property was acquired and plans began to unravel as the Leiby family started the labor intensive process of reviving the restaurant. We hope to provide a family-friendly dining experience with home style meals, friendly service, homemade pies and of course, Leiby's Premium Ice Cream."The purchase of the restaurant, located at 848 West Penn Pike in Tamaqua, was finalized in June, said Ron Eichenberg, the managing director of commercial sales for the Frederick Group, Allentown. It was purchased by Daniel Leiby, a direct descendant of Daniel F. Leiby, the founder of Leiby's Dairy in 1927.The founder sold the business to his brother-in-law Walter Zimmerman in 1942. Zimmerman sold it to his sons in 1956. They opened the restaurant in 1965 and built the Leiby's Premium Ice Cream business that is still in operation.The restaurant was sold in 1991 to the Stillman family who operated it until its closing in 2007. From there, the business was sold at auction in 2008 and purchased by Gary Dell'Alba, Center Valley, of K-Mar Properties, a real estate investment firm associated with Square One Markets. However, he passed away a year later before he could open a business there.Eichenberg hasn't spoken with the Leiby family since closing, and efforts to contact the Leibys were unsuccessful. Plans for the purchase began in May 2015.Lehighton Hardware closes doorsAmong the new starts, one business decided enough was enough.Lehighton Hardware shut its doors for good in September after more than 90 years in business. Store co-owner Scott Griffith said increased operating expenses, lower profit margins, rising taxes and increased competition made them decide to close the store."Is it disappointing? Absolutely. But you can't justify breaking even every year," Griffith said. "We feel sorry. We thank all the patronage over the years."With the closing, the store's manager Linda Guy retired after 47 years with the company. There were two other employees at the store.Griffith said he is interested in finding a buyer for the building, located at 116 S. Second St., Lehighton. It is listed for $250,000 as a general commercial property.