Earl Paules and his wife, Lorraine, celebrated the expansion of their business, Paules Metal Works, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony located at 1145 Little Gap Road, Lower Towamensing Township.

The new expansion is 7,500 square feet and is an addition to the already existing 30,000-square-foot facility that currently employs 15 people and will add 10 more jobs with the expansion.

Earl Paules said he was given the opportunity to buy bigger equipment for his metal fabricating company, and credited the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation and its director, Toni Artuso, with helping the effort.

Others he cited were state Rep. Keith McCall, The Small Business First, First National Bank, Palmerton, Northeastern PA Alliance, Lower Towamensing supervisors, Carbon County commissioners, Palmerton Area School Board and Mark Scarbinsky of the Carbon/Schuylkill Keystone Opportunity Zone program.