Distributor brings $3.2M facility to Cherokee County
By: Staff Reports
Cherokee Tribune
CANTON — A company is expanding into a new $3.2 million headquarters facility at the Bluffs, creating as many as 38 new jobs, the Cherokee Office of Economic Development announced Friday.
FactoryMation has signed a contract to build a new 62,500-square-foot headquarters and distribution facility within The Bluffs next to its present facility.
The new building will consist of 15,000 square feet of office, 5,000 square feet of manufacturing, and 42,500 square feet of warehouse, according to a release from the Office of Economic Development.
Eight jobs will be created by the end of 2012 and an additional 30 new jobs once the new building is complete, bringing FactoryMation’s total workforce to 65 employees.
FactoryMation is a national distributor of industrial control products with over 30,000 parts offered, according to Misti Martin, president of the Office of Economic Development.
The company began operations in 2005 with just 7,500 square feet in the Airport Industrial Park.
They expanded into 16,000 square feet in the only multi-tenant spec building in The Bluffs at 156 Bluffs Court, Martin said.
The operation has since grown to 35,000 square feet.
“We have worked with FactoryMation for quite some time to make this vision a reality. This is a great testimonial to the strength of Cherokee’s business climate,” said Marshall Day, chairman of Economic Development for the county.
The company will invest an additional $800,000 in equipment.
The new building, located on 5.48 acres at 160 Bluffs Court is adjacent to their current facility and will be developed by Nick Nichols and Watt Neal of Nichols Neal Construction and Wilson, Hull & Neal Real Estate
“They are a true small business success story,” said Buzz Ahrens, chairman of Cherokee County Board of Commissioners.
Since its inception, FactoryMation has seen sustained growth of 20 to 25 percent each year, said Russ Sanders, president of FactoryMation.
“There are many reasons we chose to expand in Cherokee, one being its close proximity to Atlanta without the congestion,” he said. “The benefits of the Opportunity Zone were icing on the cake. Having the Cherokee County Regional Airport and a location of Chattahoochee Technical College close by is an added bonus.”
Sanders mentioned that FactoryMation has two employees being trained at the nearby Chattahoochee Technical College.
The community supported the expansion, with assistance from the city of Canton with permitting fees and the Cherokee Office of Economic Development.
Canton Mayor Gene Hobgood said the city was pleased about the expansion.
“The city of Canton is excited about the expansion of FactoryMation in the Bluffs and was pleased to be able to help make this expansion feasible and cost effective,” he said.
TPA Realty Services and developers Watt Neal and Nick Nichols were also an integral part of making the deal for Canton and Cherokee County.
“FactoryMation is a great example of a company that’s been able to make the most of what The Bluffs and Cherokee County have to offer,” said Rick Bradshaw, president of TPA Realty Services, LLC. “They will benefit from the Opportunity Zone job tax credits and easy access to workforce training.
“The local airport has served them well, and they’ve been able to retain valued employees by staying in Cherokee County,” Bradshaw said.
“In an economic environment that’s been tough on small businesses, it’s fantastic to see FactoryMation thrive. We’re so glad that The Bluffs provides them with a supportive business environment that allows them to achieve these successes.”
The project is expected to be completed by September 2013.
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