SPS Technologies Plans LEED-Certified Aerospace Facility After Major Fire

On Feb. 17 an explosion inside a compressed-air system triggered a massive fire that destroyed roughly 80% of SPS Technologies’ century-old Abington factory; the blast was captured on video, no employees were injured, over 70 fire companies responded, and the Fire Marshal’s final report is still pending. The blaze forced the company to lay off about half its roughly 500-person workforce, with many longtime employees offered limited compensation and some operations temporarily moved to a Langhorne site. At a recent community meeting SPS unveiled plans to rebuild a smaller, 350,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art aerospace fasteners facility on Highland Avenue—targeting LEED certification, solar panels, improved ventilation and safety features—and said it will invest hundreds of millions to complete the project by about 2028. SPS told officials it will comply with rigorous local zoning and safety standards, has begun demolition of the damaged building, and opened a community hotline for updates and concerns. Company and community leaders said the rebuild aims to restore jobs, stability and the company’s long-standing role in Abington while investigators continue to determine the explosion’s cause.