Charlie Bauder/WNEG AM-630/Special to Independent Mail
Michigan-based wood manufacturer G-M Wood Products will expand to Stephens County.
The Stephens County Development Authority has offered the company a lease agreement for the 52,500-square-foot Telford Building in the Meadowbrook Industrial Park.
Founded in 1987, G-M Wood Products makes exterior door components.
Company chief executive officer Mark Micho said the Stephens County facility will be similar to the company’s current one in Newaygo, Mich.
“We will have a priming line, and we will have and other operations,” Micho said. “We manufacture exterior door components. Those operations, along with many others that are integral for what we manufacture in Newaygo, will be in Toccoa.”
Micho said the company looked at sites throughout the region.
In the end, he said, Toccoa makes the most sense.
“What really made the most sense was the people we met when we came,” Micho said. “Our visit was very positive. Tim (Martin) did a wonderful job getting us information. It was a very relaxed atmosphere when we were there. The man overseeing the Toccoa operation and I both, after the visit, said Toccoa is where we want to be.”
The Telford Building, Micho said, is ideal for G-M Wood production process. The company is expected occupy the building Nov. 1 and start production Dec. 1. The company plans to employ 12 people initially.
Stephens County Development Authority Executive Director Tim Martin said the new agreement is more great news for the county.
“It is fitting that a company with such a proven record of success and growth in the woodworking industry would select a community with a proud history of woodworking,” Martin said. “G-M Wood Products and Toccoa-Stephens County are a perfect fit for each other.”
Stephens County Development Authority Chairman Cam Parker said the agency looks forward to helping the company enjoy success and growth in Stephens County.
Stephens County Commission Chairman Dean Scarborough said the news regarding G-M Wood is the result of the efforts of many people, just like the agreement made public last week that Crown Resources will locate in Stephens County.
“We are just so excited that G-M Wood Products has chosen Toccoa for its second location,” Scarborough said. “We know they will start off with a certain number of employees, but we look forward to them increasing as they become successful, and we are just excited about having them come to Toccoa and Stephens County.”
Toccoa Mayor Bob Troup said local officials looked at G-M Wood Products very closely as the recruitment process moved along and liked what they saw.
“They are a very stable company,” Troup said. “They are going to be great partners for Toccoa, and ultimately they will probably employ 60 to 70 people, and that is the progress that we need to make.”
State Sen. Jim Butterworth and state Rep. Michael Harden also are commending both sides for reaching an agreement. Butterworth said this is an exciting time for Toccoa and the region, while Harden said that as a company that prides itself on being the best, G-M Wood Products will be a great addition.
Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Heidi Green said the state is very pleased about this latest example of job creation in Georgia. The area work force will help G-M Wood Products thrive, she said, and play a significant part in growing the state’s economy.
Link to Article:
G-M Wood Products Expansion
