Multi-national company bringing $219M investment, 200 jobs to Prattville
AUTAUGA CO., AL (WSFA) - Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey made a huge economic news announcement in Autauga County Thursday afternoon, confirming that multi-national corporation James Hardie Building Products will open a multi-million dollar facility in Prattville. The economic investment is pegged at $219 million with 205 jobs that will pay, on average, $25 per hour.
According to Amy Brabham, economic development director for the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce, this will be the largest industrial development in Prattville since the containerboard mill now operated by International Paper opened 50 years ago.
Hardie bills itself as a 'Worldwide leader in fiber cement siding and backerboard'. Its products have a range of applications including for external siding, trim and panels, as well as interior floor and tile underlay. The company has annual revenues of more than $1.5 billion and 3,200 employees around the globe.
Watch: (Event starts around 9-minute mark)
"I am very excited that James Hardie has selected Alabama as the home for a major U.S. production facility..." Ivey said. "I believe this world-class manufacturer has picked the ideal site, and I'm committed to helping the company find long-lasting success in Prattville."
The plant will be built on a 103-acre site in the South Industrial Park, located between County Road 4 and U.S. Highway 82. It should be completed sometime in 2018.
Ivey was joined by Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield, Prattville Major Bill Gillespie Jr., Autauga County Commission Chairman Jay Thompson and others delegates, as well as officials from the James Hardie company.
Hardie's decision is more than a year in the making.
"Prattville quickly became the preferred community for Hardie's next plant due to its skilled workforce, proximity to critical resources and access to key markets," James Hardie CEO Louis Gries said.
"James Hardie's decision to locate this advanced production center in Prattville will bring high-paying jobs and new opportunities to people in the area," said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. "This project also shows how our teamwork approach to economic development leads to valuable partnerships with great companies."
The company was founded in Australia in 1888 but didn't start manufacturing in North American until the 1990s. It currently has 10 locations in the US including plants, labs, or corporate offices in California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
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