Yerty Auto Service of Roaring Spring has been approved for a $1.8 million loan from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority so the company can acquire and renovate the vacant former Lumax Industries building on the 300 block of Chestnut Avenue in Altoona, according to a news release from the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

The company has outgrown its existing facility on state Route 36 in Roaring Spring and needs the new space to ensure continued success, according to the news release.

“The new property will provide ample space and a smooth workflow for receiving vehicles via overhead doors (and will allow for) dismantling, production, quality control, storage/ warehousing and shipping,” the news release states.

The company plans to install a new roof; upgrade the electrical, HVAC and plumbing systems; install a dropped ceiling; and improve the employee lounge and cafeteria, according to the news release.

The loan is for 15 years at 4.25%, according to the news release.

Costing $4.5 million overall, the project will enable creation of 10 full-time jobs within five years and the retention of 22 existing jobs, according to the news release.

The 70-year-old company currently has more than 25,000 square feet of warehouse space for previously dismantled used auto parts, according to the firm’s website.

Lumax manufactured commercial, industrial and institutional lighting fixtures for 47 years before closing in 2023, shortly after the death of its founder, Donald Snyder, according to a Mirror story at the time of the closing.

In 2025, PIDA approved $60.8 million in low-interest loans that helped leverage $154.9 million in private investment, the creation of 305 full time jobs and the retention of 883 existing jobs, according to the new release.