Five things to know about the planned sale of the Sumitomo Rubber USA site:

Who is the buyer?

The prospective buyer is Hwa Fong Rubber, a Taiwan-based manufacturer. The company plans to establish tire manufacturing at the site.

HFR said it was drawn by factors such as its "size, reusable square footage, proximity to water, roadway infrastructure, and the ability to be redeveloped into an industrial park setting."

The planned purchase also would answer a question that has loomed over the property since its closing in November 2024: how would the region find another user for a site consisting of 2 million square feet of space?

What's the plan?

HFR plans to use part of the 130-acre site for its own tire production, but is rebranding the property as HF Tonawanda Industrial Park.

The ide

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