Valmiera Glass expansion to create 425 new jobs in Laurens

ATLANTA -- Fiberglass manufacturer Valmiera Glass Group announced Monday it will expand operations in Laurens County, creating about 425 new jobs.

"Once they're up and operational, they'll be the largest manufacturer, from a jobs count, in the entire community," said Brad Lofton, president of the Dublin-Laurens County Development Authority.

He and a delegation of Laurens County officials, Valmiera company bosses and Gov. Nathan Deal made the formal announcement at the state Capitol on Monday.

The Latvia-based company will employ a total of 500 to 525 people once the expansion is complete, Lofton said.

The new jobs will pay about $25 per hour, some of the highest manufacturing wages in the area, said Fred Williams, chairman of the development authority.

The company will invest about $90 million into the expansion effort through 2022. Williams said that investment will include a new building and equipment.

The building will be on a 50-acre site at the county's industrial park on Interstate 16.

Valmiera Glass Group makes fiberglass for several industries including aerospace, oil and gas. Would-be employees will learn how to make that material through a partnership with Heart of Georgia College and Career Academy.

"The school will be the training center for the company," Williams said. The company aims to start production by 2017.

In July 2014, Valmiera Glass first announced plans to hire 150 employees and invest $20 million into its first U.S.-based headquarters and manufacturing facility.

"We checked other options and finally decided to make this investment again" in Laurens County, said Jürgen Preiss-Daimler, founder and owner of the P-D FibreGlass Group, which includes Valmiera.

Deal said he was glad to see Preiss-Daimler again.

"Earlier this month I predicted ... that we were going to have several thousands of new jobs being announced in Georgia," Deal said. "Today is a fulfillment of part of that promise."

Lofton said the expansion is good news for all of Middle Georgia.

"We'll be pulling in employees for a radius of 45 miles," he said.

Lofton said Valmiera was offered a tax abatement to help entice it to expand. He's also hoping for another typical economic incentive to be approved. His authority is asking the state for a $1 million grant from the OneGeorgia Authority. Funds from the OneGeorgia Authority can be used to help a company defray certain construction costs in exchange for a promise to create jobs.

To contact writer Maggie Lee, e-mail mlee@macon.com.

This story was originally published January 25, 2016 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Valmiera Glass expansion to create 425 new jobs in Laurens ."