Darren Buttle, the founder and CEO of Muzo, a flexible classroom learning and office solutions furniture company founded in 1999 out of Yorkshire, United Kingdom, was waiting for the right opportunity to meet the needs of his growing business, and when it arose, he quickly jumped at the chance to lease the 74,000 square-foot facility in the Valmont Industrial Park, West Hazleton that had just recently become available.

It was 10 years ago when Buttle first decided on Greater Hazleton for a U.S. manufacturing facility. He said sales in the United States were increasing and one day he got a knock on his door back in Yorkshire. There stood a representative from the Pennsylvania Office of International Business Development who persuaded him to take a trip to Pennsylvania to explore the opportunity of opening manufacturing here.

Buttle said he “fell in love with this area,” and working with CAN DO’s marketing and real estate department. In 2010, he found space in the CAN DO Corporate Center that offered him a flexible lease where he began making and shipping his furniture throughout the United States and beyond. Buttle said he particularly liked this region because it reminds him of Yorkshire.

As demand for his furniture increased over the years, Muzo was running out of space and Buttle began researching options for a new location. He said he kept in contact with Joe Lettiere, CAN DO’s Executive Vice President, over the years and Lettiere was helping him search for other locations.

“For the last couple of years we have been trying to solve Darren’s growth problems. He needed a space that was going to be flexible enough for him to expand, not for just this next step but as he grows into the future,” Lettiere said.

That’s when the building in Valmont became available and CAN DO worked with Buttle to arrange a flexible lease that led to Buttle deciding to not only plan expansions in this location but also to move his global headquarters to West Hazleton.

“We are a growing business. We’ve established ourselves in this region and we like the people and we like the area,” Buttle said. “Transportation routes are great here and our east coast business is very, very strong. We sell worldwide and will be exporting from here to a number of regions around the world.”

Currently distributing to 41 countries, Muzo combines the best in British design with the best in American engineering and manufacturing, Buttle said. The company’s designs have become so popular that major corporations such as Google, Facebook and Coca-Cola are using Muzo’s furniture.

He added that the company plans on expanding its workforce here by more than 50 people over the next 12-18 months. “We will grow as fast as we can find great people,” Buttle said.

Buttle said the company plans on launching manufacturing and distribution in Valmont by February 1.

He added, “I believe our presence will attract business visitors from across the USA and from all over the world. I have relocated here and I look forward to spending time enjoying the outdoor lifestyle in the Poconos.