Christmas came a few weeks early for the Plant City business community.
James Hardie announced this week plans for a major expansion of its Plant City facility. The expansion will generate more than 100 new jobs and nearly $80 million in capital investment by 2015.
The global manufacturer of fiber cement siding and interior products has been planning the expansion with the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Council for about six months. The city also played its role in organizing the arrangement.
“A lot of times, manufacturing companies like to sit down and analyze what side will have more profit,” City Manager Greg Horwedel said. “We proved that we are a great value for their dollar. I’m really proud of the work our staff did answering questions in regards to subjects (such as) transportation.”
Last year, Plant City approved a moratorium on the collection of transportation mobility fees to increase competitiveness in pursuing high-impact economic development projects. As a result of this program, James Hardie will receive a fee waiver of $37,300. The company is also eligible for Florida’s new Machinery and Equipment Sales Tax Exemption program, approved in May, by the Florida Legislature.
James Hardie’s existing location on South Woodrow Wilson Street also helped in the decision-making process. As part of the expansion, the manufacturer will retrofit an existing pipe plant for sheet production, adding 100,000 square feet of space, as well as new machinery and equipment. The growth will double production capacity and allow James Hardie to meet increased demand for its fiber cement siding products, used on 5.5 million homes across North America. James Hardie opened the Plant City location in 1994.
“This is an exciting time for James Hardie in both Plant City and around the world,” Ryan Sullivan, James Hardie South Division General Manager, said in a statement. “Innovation that happens in Plant City resonates around the world, and the catalyst is the great environment we have here. Employees see themselves as a family, and that says a lot about the people in the city and the surrounding community.”
Attracting an expansion of this size is competitive for any community.
“It’s always competitive,” Horwedel said. “We’re always being evaluated to provide the best value for the company. We have an excellent menu of services to help grow a business and prosper.
“I’m delighted that James Hardie is expanding,” Horwedel said. “This validates the fact that Plant City and that Hillsborough County is a competitive marketplace.”
Last year, the EDC entered into a partnership with TECO and Plant City to hire Jake Austin, a project manager dedicated to driving job creation and capital investment in Plant City and Eastern Hillsborough County. To date, nine companies have announced plans to expand, generating more than 200 new jobs and $105.6 million in capital investment.
“James Hardie has been a valuable member of our business community for more than two decades,” Plant City Mayor Mary Thomas Mathis said in a statement. “Its decision to expand in Plant City is a testament to the strong business environment we’ve created and validates our role as a top manufacturing and distribution center.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
ABOUT JAMES HARDIE
The 125-year-old James Hardie invented fiber cement siding products in the early 1980s as a durable, lower-maintenance alternative to wood and vinyl. Currently installed on more than 5.5 million homes in North America, James Hardie also has operations in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Asia.
