Sark-USA Expands in Stephens County

Sark Wire Corporation, part of Sarkuysan (“SARK”) Group of Companies, is pleased to announce that its second Copper wire manufacturing/distribution facility in the United States will be on stream in Toccoa.

Sark Wire Building, formally known as the Eddy West Building, is located in Meadowbrook Industrial Park.

“SARK is excited to be expanding our operations into the Southeast,” said Sarkuysan Chairman. “The state of Georgia has lived up to their reputation of having a favorable business climate and Toccoa-Stephens County has already made us feel so at home.  We know our business will continue to thrive in our new location.”

Stephens County Commission Chair Dennis Bell said he is proud to welcome Sark Wire into the community.

“Sark Wire will be a real asset to our community and I believe one of the events that is the beginning of economic growth for Stephens County,” said Bell. “I personally thank God for the blessings of these new jobs for the citizens of Stephens County.”

Meanwhile, Toccoa Mayor Terry Carter echoed that welcome.

“Toccoa’s life blood has always revolved around industry and trade,” said Carter. “We extend our thanks to SARK for giving us the opportunity to prove that the citizens of Toccoa-Stephens County are reliable and talented. We appreciate SARK for choosing to make Toccoa home for its new facility. The city of Toccoa is committed to providing quality public service which will make this a profitable decision for all concerned.”

SARK is a publicly owned Turkish entity with annual gross sales revenue in excess of $1.2 billion, consisting of several companies serving wire and cable industries for over 43 years, employing 750 people worldwide, and being Turkey’s largest copper wire manufacturing company.

The company’s first U.S.-based manufacturing plant was established in 2009 in Albany, New York.

Stephens County Development Authority Chairman Brian Akin said that the Authority is very happy that Sark Wire has chosen Stephens County for its second U.S. location.

“The SCDA is serious about its desire and commitment to attract world-class employers to our community and Sark Wire fits the mold perfectly,” said Akin. “They have already demonstrated their desire to be a good corporate citizen that will invest in the local community. It has been a true pleasure to become acquainted with Sark Wire’s leadership team over the past several months and we look forward to a long-lasting relationship.”

Sark USA said it has been successfully offering SARK products in North America and will continue to serve its clients with improved lead times and a wider variety of products through this new facility in Stephens County.

Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce Chairman Greg Roach said that the Chamber looks forward to a long relationship with Sark Wire.

“It has been a delight to work with the SARK executives during this selection process,” said Roach. “Here in Toccoa-Stephens County, we are truly honored to be one of the first communities in Georgia to welcome a Turkish company. We know they will find our community to be a true home for them. The Chamber of Commerce is eager to work with them in any way possible to help them integrate into the community.”

SARK will work with agencies including the Georgia Department of Labor through the hiring and recruitment process in the coming weeks and months in order to get the facility open.

SARK will work with agencies including the Georgia Department of Labor through the hiring and recruitment process in the coming weeks and months in order to get the facility open.

Tiny House on Wheels

Have you seen Kokoon Homes Steel SIPs, “Tiny House on Wheels” driving around town? This 8’ X 20’ tiny house on wheels is the creation of Toccoan Dave Rades and comes in three basic roof lines and is designed for full time living.

The shell is soy foam insulated and weather tight and is ready to be finished as the consumer likes.  The factory painted steel roof comes in five colors and has an industry first, 10 year warranty.  Kokoon exclusive innovations include a retractable 4’ X 7’ rear covered porch, a double floor inside that allows all water lines and electrical service to be installed easily before final interior sheetrock or wood walls are in place.

A small affordable 115 volt AC/heat unit can keep this unit comfy year round.  Any full size pickup can tow this with no special permits necessary.  Many in the tiny homes community want to build theirs from the ground up.  The base price of the trailer frame is $4,750.00. A basic insulated shell trailer can be purchased for $ 11,835. 60 – $13,291.60.
For further details please contact KoKoon Homes, 226  Elberton Street, Toccoa, GA 30577, www.kokoonhomes.com or Amy Griggs at amyg@kokoonhomes.com or706-244-0162.

Osborne Wood Products adds item to product line

Osborne Wood Products of Toccoa has unveiled another new product - chair kits. This north Georgia company is now offering solid wood, North American made dining and kitchen chair kits to consumers and the trade. Four unique styles have been added to the Osborne line including two dining chairs, one kitchen chair, and one bar/counter height chair.
Full Article 

Featured Property: 706 Turner Road

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19,200 SF manufacturing facility (3,630 SF office)
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For more info, call us at 706-886-4242!
Property link 

SCDA Gets Good News On Sewer Expansion Grant

Toccoa and Stephens County remain in the running for a significant grant to help with a local water and sewer expansion project.

Stephens County Development Authority Executive Director Tim Martin says that the Economic Development Administration has contacted the Development Authority to tell it that its grant application for funding to help install sewer along the Toccoa By-pass was selected for further consideration for funding.

Martin said this is a very positive development.

“While this does not guarantee final approval or legally bind the EDA to make an award to us, we have cleared the biggest hurdle in the review process,” said Martin.

Martin went on to say that the Economic Development Administration is considering providing almost all of the funding requested by the Development Authority in the grant application.

“Our original application was for $1.5 million,” said Martin.  “What we have been told is they may grant us $1.42 million dollars.”

Martin said they hope to find out in the Spring officially on whether the Development Authority receives the grant.

It would help fund sewer expansion from the intersection of the By-pass and Big A Road to the By-pass and Highway 106.

Toccoa and StephensCounty have designed a water and sewer expansion project that will build water and sewer improvements on Big A Road between Rose Lane and the Toccoa By-pass, as well as the By-pass between Big A Road and a location near the intersection of the By-pass and Highway 106.

Full Article
By: Charlie Bauder

Global Partitions Makes Donation to NGTC

North Georgia Technical College announced recently that Global Partitions of Toccoa made a donation of more than $30,000 in materials and supplies to renovate the bathroom facilities at Bryant Hall on the school’s Clarkesville Campus.  North Georgia Technical College is the oldest technical college in Georgia and is only one of two schools in the Technical College System of Georgia with dormitory facilities.  Bryant Hall was built in the 1960s.  With the renovations now complete, North Georgia Technical College Foundation Director Cynthia Brown recently traveled to Global Partitions to thank officials for the donation.

GEM Southeast to add 35 new jobs to it Global Partitions operation in Toccoa, GA

GEM Southeast will add 35 jobs at its Global Partitions plant on Liberty Hill Road in Eastanollee.

Global Partitions Plant Manager Barry Roberts called it good news for the community.

“ASI Storage Solutions, currently located in Memphis, Tenn., will be relocating to Toccoa,” Roberts said. “That is going to be in the Global Partitions facility. They make lockers. We already make lockers at the other two GEM plants. Now, we will make metal lockers at the Global plant. This is for GEM schools’ lockers.”

People already are being hired for the 35 positions, he said.

Roberts made news of the expansion public Thursday at the annual Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce meeting.

GEM Southeast operates three facilities in Stephens County, all in Eastanollee.

Applegate Insulation to Expand, up to 40 jobs

Applegate Insulation, which is based in Michigan but has a plant in the Meadowbrook Industrial Park in Eastanollee, has made public its intent to pursue a multimillion-dollar expansion of the Stephens County facility. The expansion will involve additional equipment and manpower for the current facility, as well as the possibility of adding square footage to the building.The Stephens County Development Authority approved a bond inducement resolution of $8 million for Applegate. Through the resolution, the development authority acts as a conduit of sorts for Applegate,
“The way Georgia laws are written, and in order to receive tax abatement and other incentives, there has to a bond and title type situation,” development authority chairman Cam Parker. The county and the development authority, he said, are not liable in any way for the $8 million, and the finances are between Applegate and its investors. Applegate makes various insulation products at its facilities. It employs 22 people in Stephens County.

Randy Beckett, local general manager for the company, said the expansion in Toccoa will allow the facility to produce a new type of insulation made mainly out of recycled cotton fiber. “We plan on shipping nationwide out of Stephens County and hiring as many as 40 employees as part of that product line, so we are excited to bring employment to the county and grow our business here,” Beckett said.

Advances made on economic front

There is good news – for a change – looming on the economic horizon for Toccoa-Stephens County.

The Stephens County Industrial Development Authority has been instrumental in securing commitments for two new industries to locate in our community.

The first is a Michigan-based wood components manufacturing company, as yet unidentified, that will locate in Meadowbrook Industrial Park in the Eastanollee area.

The company is expected to create 12 new jobs when it begins operations by November.

Also announced this week was the news that Crown Resources, a maker of drainage, filtration, asphalt overlay and erosion sedimentation control applications, will move its Greer, S.C., operations to the Rooker spec building in the Hayestone Brady Park.

The building is located adjacent to Highway 17 and bulldozers and other equipment could be seen working at the site the last two weeks.

Crown will bring with it 20 jobs.

That's a total of 32 new jobs for Toccoa-Stephens County, not a lot by high economic development standards – the 32 won't even replace the 100 or so jobs lost earlier this year when an industrial plant closed its Toccoa operations – but it is a start.

In these difficult economic times, when competition for new industry is beyond fierce, it should make the community feel better that some headway is being made in the creation of jobs for Toccoa-Stephens County.

To put it bluntly, 32 jobs is better than zero jobs created.

Also on a positive note on the economic development front, was the news last week that the development authority, because of less than expected contractual costs, will expand its work plan in the Hayestone-Brady industrial park.

The authority is utilizing proceeds from a special purpose local options sales tax (SPLOST) to build the park. That means infrastructure improvements such as roads, water, sewer, gas and electricity.

A recent visit to the park construction site showed considerable activity as roads are being cut and some sites leveled and prepared for potential new industrial prospects.

When completed, Hayestone-Brady will certainly be the centerpiece of Toccoa-Stephens County's industrial recruitment program.

With the completion of the park – and the much-awaited construction of a four-lane Highway 17 – Toccoa-Stephens County will take a back seat to no other community when it comes to showcasing building sites for potential industrial residents.

Our economy will not turn around from 10 percent unemployment to full employment overnight because of these two new industries and the ongoing construction of the new industrial park.

However, there is cause for optimism that with the advances of recent days we are headed to a much brighter future filled with jobs, an increased tax base and heftier payrolls supporting local consumer spending.

Combat Training Solutions receives military contract

The receipt of a government contract by Combat Training Solutions – a Colorado-based company which operates a research and development and production facility in Eastanollee – could mean additional jobs for Stephens County, said CTS president and CEO Tony Colon.

After a lengthy four-year contract competition, Combat Training Solutions, on Friday, was awarded a CARTS contract. CARTS stands for Common Army Ranges and Target Systems.

A number of companies will work to fill the $4 billion, five-year contract, with $390 million of that set aside for small businesses such as Combat Training Solutions, Colon explained.

“That is $390 million we can go after without competing against large businesses,” he said, explaining that CTS is a Hub Zone certified company.
HUB Zone certification is a Small Business Administration initiative to promote job growth, capital investment, and economic development to historically underutilized business zones by providing contracting assistance to small businesses located in these economically distressed communities.

“This (contract) will allow us to research and development and use government funds for that,” Colon said, explaining that the contract would allow for prototype building and rapid prototyping that would allow the company to hire additional machinists, welders, design engineers and support staff as well as assemblers to help produce the products once developed.

Read Full article: Toccoa Record: Top Stories

The Toccoa Record: 09-09-10