Special Effects Maker Could Move Out of Easton Area

By Jack Tobias

An Easton-area company that makes special-effects products for Hollywood -- think "Jurassic Park," Harry Potter movies and "The "Matrix" series -- needs more room and may be moving to the former Day-Timer facility in Lower Macungie Township.

Officials from Smooth-On Inc. will go before two township boards -- the planning commission on Tuesday (Jan. 14) and the zoning board on Jan. 28. Both meetings start at 7 p.m. at the township building.

The planning commission agenda, posted on the township website, said the company is seeking a "variance request." But the zoners agenda has more information. It says the company is requesting a change from one non-conforming use to another non-conforming use "regarding the proposed change from light manufacturing to a manufacturing use."

A company official told The Morning Call it needs more room and that it is also looking at other sites besides the Day-Timer property. It also is considering an expansion of its current plant at 2000 St. John St. in Williams Township, just south of the Easton line and east of Easton's Interstate 78 interchange.

"You may never have heard of us, but you've seen our products at work," the company says on its website. "If you've ever been to the movies, admired a piece of sculpture, marveled at detailed architectural ornamentation or used a telephone, then you've encountered the handiwork of people who use Smooth-On rubbers, plastics, foams and other products to turn their ideas into 3-dimensional reality.

"You've seen our Liquid Rubbers and Liquid Plastics used to create special effects in such blockbuster movies as the original 'Jurassic Park,' 'Anaconda,' 'Free Willy,' 'Star Wars,' 'Star Trek' [TV series and movies], 'Die Hard,' all Harry Potter movies, James Bond films, 'Matrix' series, 'King Kong' and many others too numerous to mention."

Day-Timer, the landmark East Texas manufacturer of planners and organizers, announced in June 2012 it was closing its Lower Macungie Road facility, affecting the jobs of 300 people. The announcement was made by parent company ACCO Brands Corp. of Lincolnshire, Ill.

ACCO said the Day-Timer operations would be relocated to other ACCO Brands facilities in Sidney, N.Y.; Kettering, Ohio, and Lincolnshire.