An Eastern European fiberglass-maker plans to expand its factory in Laurens County in central Georgia and create 425 jobs over the next six years, the company and Gov. Nathan Deal’s office said in a Monday news release.
Latvia-based Valmiera Glass Group will spend $90 million in the project through 2022, the release said. Valmiera makes products for the auto, aerospace and the oil and gas industries.
“Demand for glass fiber products has increased, while the company’s productive capacity hardly outlasts the required amounts,” said Andre Schwiontek, president of Valmiera Glass USA Corp. “The expansion in the U.S. is a solution to this problem.”
Valmiera announced the first phase of development in Dublin in 2014 in a project involving 150 jobs. The announcement Monday is essentially the second phase and a project the company moved up by three years, the release said.
“The expansion of Valmiera Glass Group is a strategic step that will provide customers with a broader range of products and shorter delivery times while creating jobs in Middle Georgia,” Deal said in the release. “It further affirms that our thriving automotive and aerospace industries are gaining attention in the international marketplace.”
The jobs will require advanced manufacturing skills, the release said, and Oconee Fall Line Technical College will house a training center for Valmiera’s future workers.
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