The new year kicked off with a bang in Cranberry Township, as Zambelli Fireworks officials confirmed Wednesday the company will move its headquarters to the area.

According to Sandy McStay, Zambelli human resources manager, the move to 120 Marshall Drive in Thornhill Industrial Park, Warrendale, will begin in February.

“We are hoping to be in completely by March 1,” McStay said.

The company has operated in New Castle for 124 years.

McStay said the move has been in the works for at least three months, as company leaders aimed to find a more modern facility with room for growth. The headquarters employs 12 people, most of whom will make the transition to the new facility.

“This is purely an office environment,” McStay said, adding the company will keep its production facility in Edinburg, Lawrence County.

While she was not involved in the decision-making process, McStay said company leaders chose Cranberry due to the potential to grow and its location.

“Cranberry being easily accessible was a big portion of it,” she said.

Bruce Mazzoni, Cranberry Township supervisor, said accessibility has been a major draw for companies relocating to the area. However, he believes the township has a lot to offer companies like Zambelli which are looking to expand.

“I like to think we're a fairly progressive community,” he said. “We offer a lot of services not only to our residents, but to businesses, which is very attractive. It's what we strive for.”

Butler County is not unknown territory for Zambelli. The company participated in the Pyrotechnics Guild International meeting at Coopers Lake in 2013. The gathering of professional and amateur fireworks enthusiasts drew 40,000 visitors to the county, according to Jack Cohen, president of Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau.

Cohen said the tourism bureau is always looking for a new location to host the gathering in the future, and Zambelli's relocation can only help in that process.

“We know those folks, and are happy they chose Butler County to set up their home,” he said. “They are an established brand like no other in the industry, and we're lucky to have them in our backyard.”

The decision to move the company is bittersweet for Stan Kosciuszko, president of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce. Kosciuszko grew up in New Castle across the street from members of the Zambelli family, one of whom served as his baby sitter.

“I'm happy and sad at the same time,” to see them leave, he said. “I've known (the family) my whole life, and they were very good to us.”

However, Kosciuszko acknowledged the impact Zambelli will have on the area.

“What will be nice is when people see Zambelli, the address will say 'Cranberry Township,'” he said. “We're happy they chose us.”