In The News

TWO COMPANIES PLAN EXPANSIONS IN WEST CHESTER

December 5, 2016  |  Georgia Pacific
Georgia Pacific

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: Barbara Wilson, 759-7308 or 304-4701

West Chester this week welcomes news from two existing companies with plans to expand and invest further in the community. Georgia-Pacific and SAF-Holland represent manufacturing and will add jobs and new property investment as a result of these expansions.

“These projects represent continued investment in manufacturing and, in the case of Georgia-Pacific, advanced manufacturing – a targeted sector for West Chester’s future growth and sustainability,” said Aaron Wiegand, West Chester Community Development Director. “West Chester applauds the success of both companies and looks forward to being a part of their future growth.”

In 2016, nearly $56 million in new capital investment has been made in West Chester with more than 370 new jobs added.

Both companies appeared before the Ohio Tax Credit Authority Monday for consideration of state incentives. West Chester and REDI Cincinnati worked collaboratively to keep the projects in the community. 

Georgia-Pacific is one of the world’s leading makers of tissue, pulp, paper, packaging, building products and related chemicals. Its West Chester facility on Port Union Road serves as a printing and manufacturing operation for packaging products. 

The company’s newest project introduces a new highly proprietary digital printing process resulting in a $3.8 million expansion of their existing 178,000-square-foot facility, nearly $18 million in machinery and equipment investment, and as many as 29 new jobs with an average salary of $45,000.

West Chester competed with California and Indiana to attract this new investment.

SAF-Holland, with an existing distribution facility on Circle Freeway, will relocate an existing manufacturing line from Holland, Michigan, to their West Chester facility. The move is being made, according to company officials, to be closer to end-user markets and due to the high productivity of the existing West Chester operation.

SAF-Holland will create 30 new jobs with a total payroll of $2.1 million as a result of the expansion, invest $100,000 in retrofitting the existing facility, and will make an equipment and machinery investment of nearly $600,000.

West Chester’s commitment to infrastructure and a strong local economy continue to attract corporate investment from a wide range of industries. West Chester’s professional economic development staff is available to serve the needs of those seeking potential development opportunities.