300 New Jobs Coming To Bainbridge
Rural Georgia is getting in on the Economic Development game. Yesterday, Taurus USA, a manufacturer of firearms, announced it was going to locate a $22.5 Million dollar manufacturing facility in Bainbridge, in deep Southwest Georgia. While the pursuit of Amazon has some thinking Georgia’s Economic Development efforts are focused only on one company or just in the Atlanta region, the Taurus USA announcement is a reminder that efforts focus on the entire state, and that Georgia means business. All of Georgia.
The official press release from the Governor’s office follows:
April 12, 2018
Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that Taurus USA, a leading firearms manufacturer, will create 300 jobs and invest more than $22.5 million in infrastructure and operations to establish a firearms manufacturing plant in Bainbridge.
“Georgia’s strong manufacturing sector and business-friendly climate continue to attract industry-leading manufacturers like Taurus USA to our state,” said Deal. “With this investment, Taurus USA is highlighting some of the economic development assets available in the Bainbridge area, while also creating meaningful employment opportunities for the community. We welcome Taurus USA to Georgia, and we look forward to seeing how our highly skilled workforce will help the company grow and maintain its competitive edge.”
Taurus USA will build a new 200,000-square-foot facility in Decatur County with 180,000 square feet of space for manufacturing and 20,000 square feet of administrative space. New jobs will include skilled labor positions, administrative personnel, customer service representatives and management teams. Construction will begin in September 2018.
“The decision to move to Bainbridge, Georgia, is part of a long-term growth strategy,” said David Blenker, president and CEO of Taurus USA. “The ability to expand operations is critical for our U.S. business. This new facility will meet our demanding needs to increase production with the skilled workforce Georgia has to offer. We look forward to breaking ground in September 2018 to start the project.”
Taurus USA, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes the popular Taurus®, Rossi®, and Heritage™ Manufacturing product lines.
“We are very proud that Taurus USA has selected our community,” said Rick McCaskill, executive director of the Development Authority of Bainbridge and Decatur County. “This has been a team effort and we stand as a team ready to make the construction and staffing of their facility smooth and seamless.”
Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Project Manager Tony Greene represented the Global Commerce Division in collaboration with Georgia Power, Georgia Quick Start and the Development Authority of Bainbridge and Decatur County.
“Taurus USA’s decision to locate to Bainbridge is not only a win for the community, but for the region,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Georgia has a long history in the manufacturing industry sector, and we are excited to add Taurus to the long list of manufacturers that are based here. I am confident that our thriving pro-business environment and unmatched logistics network along with the abundance of resources available in Bainbridge, including a skilled workforce, will allow Taurus to succeed in Georgia.”
About Taurus USA
Taurus Holdings, Inc. (“Taurus USA”) and its subsidiaries continue to evolve and produce revolutionary new products. In addition, new standards for quality and efficiency help to deliver reliable and affordable firearms to the market. Taurus USA is based in Miami and is owned by Forjas Taurus, S.A., a publicly traded company based in Brazil. Forjas Taurus manufactures a wide variety of consumer and industrial products for worldwide distribution.
For more information, visit www.taurususa.com.
About Author
Charlie
Founder of GeorgiaPol.com; Now weekly columnist Very interested in Georgia and Georginas. Interest in politics is waning daily.
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It looks like Bartow County got in on the action yesterday too:
http://www.georgia.org/newsroom/press-releases/loloi-inc-to-create-more-than-190-jobs-in-bartow-county/
ATLANTA – April 12, 2018 –The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) today announced that Loloi Inc., a wholesaler of rugs and other home furnishing, will create 198 jobs in a Cartersville distribution facility to support its recent growth.
“We take pride in the diversity of industries in Georgia,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “As we welcome Loloi to our business community, I am confident that top-notch logistics infrastructure and top-ranked workforce, will prove beneficial as the company builds a home in Georgia.”
Headquartered in Dallas, Loloi currently has five U.S. showrooms located in Dallas, High Point, N.C., Las Vegas, New York and Atlanta. Loloi offers a comprehensive collection of rugs at all construction and quality levels.
Loloi will offer expanded home furnishing categories in decorative pillows and throws. The Bartow County facility will sit on approximately 59 acres, and is around 647,000 square feet.
“Loloi is thrilled to invest in a brand-new distribution facility based in Georgia,” said Amir Loloi, our Founder and President of Loloi Inc. “This infrastructural investment will help us better serve our customers, and meet the growing demand for our product. The Bartow County workforce and logistics infrastructure are an ideal match for our business.”
GDEcD project manager Hank Evans represented the Global Commerce division in partnership with the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Power and the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
“Loloi’s decision to invest in Bartow County and the metro region reflects the strength of our business community,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “Across the region’s ecosystem, our leaders make it a point to support the growth of our industries, from infrastructure, workforce, supply chain and beyond. We are excited to welcome Loloi into this community of leaders.”
“I would like to welcome Loloi to Bartow County, and believe that they will be successful in the good business climate the community is working hard to strategically create,” said Bartow County Sole Commissioner Steve Taylor. “Beyond just location advantages, we believe that investments made in infrastructure, quality workforce and collaboration among partners continues to benefit job seekers in the area. I’d like to thank all involved in this good news, particularly the company.”
Taurus is moving both corporate and manufacturing facilities to Bainbridge. Taurus people first toured the state nearly 15 years ago but the move took off two years ago when their CEO was shooting birds in Decatur County. All hail the quail.
https://sowegalive.com/2018/04/12/bainbridge-georgia-is-open-for-business-taurus-holdings-inc-announces-new-manufacturing-facility-corporate-headquarters-is-moving-to-bainbridge/
Boy, you couldn’t be much further from significant retail markets or transportation hubs. I wonder what their search criteria was.
Good for Bainbridge.
When the product is relatively small and high value, and the market is nationally regional if not national, transportation and location relative to market aren’t very important.
Tax incentives, inexpensive labor and pro firearm politics. right to work state, A winning combo. Would not be surprised if there were not a monetary incentive for development.
The area between Bainbridge and Columbus is among the most economically distressed in Georgia, so the jobs are welcome. The value of the incentives is important in understanding how much of a good thing it is. The incentives are not an if, but rather how much.