Prefabricated home builder acquires Homes by Keystone; moves to Waynesboro

Gardian Booth, a manufacturer of prefabricated structures, will create 33 jobs with the relocation of its headquarters to Waynesboro, Franklin County, from Orangeburg, New York. 

Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday the company also plans to expand its product offering by acquiring Homes by Keystone, a prefabricated home builder, and retaining its employees. 

“The relocation of Guardian Booth’s headquarters is a tremendous win for Pennsylvania,” said Wolf. “This manufacturer will bring new jobs to Franklin County and retain employees when it purchases Homes by Keystone, which otherwise would have closed its doors. Between our prime northeast location and skilled workforce, the commonwealth has much to offer to manufacturing companies looking to set up shop and succeed in Pennsylvania.” 

Guardian Booth has committed to investing $4.5 million into its relocation project and creating the full-time jobs within the next three years. As part of its acquisition of Homes by Keystone, located at 13338 Midvale Road in Waynesboro, the company will also retain the prefabricated home builder’s current 20 employees. 

“We are so grateful to the state of Pennsylvania for welcoming us into the community and for the great opportunity that this presents to our company in its entirety,” said Abraham Taub, owner and chief executive officer of Guardian Booth. “Our strategic directive was to expand our geographical reach to support customers throughout the mid-Atlantic, northeast, Midwest and southeast while increasing our manufacturing footprint over the next few years; Franklin County was the perfect fit in terms of location. We feel lucky to have found Homes by Keystone which has lots of synergy to our existing business model and allows Guardian Booth to expand its portfolio into modular prefabricated homes.” 

The company received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for a $165,000 Pennsylvania First grant, a $106,000 workforce development grant to train its new workers and was encouraged to apply for the department’s Manufacturing Tax Credit (MTC) program. 

 “The Franklin County Area Development Corporation is excited to welcome Guardian Booth to Waynesboro,” said Mike Ross, president, FCADC. “The economic development support of its acquisition of Homes By Keystone and the relocation of its current operation from Orangeburg, New York, which will result in $4.5 million capital investment, the creation of 33 new jobs and the retention of 20 existing employees reflects a collaborative effort of the FCADC and the Governor’s Action Team.”