At a special meeting of the Walker County Development Authority, Executive Director Larry Brooks presented to the board a memorandum of understanding from Pennsylvania-based Audia International, Inc. that would see the company construct a new manufacturing facility in Walker County.
“This project has been a year and a half's worth of work and I am happy to be able to present the board with the plan forward,” Mr. Brooks said at the opening of the meeting.
The plan calls for Audia International, Inc. to invest over $50 million in a plastics manufacturing facility in the newly-developed Walker County Business Park north of LaFayette on US 27. The facility will support Audia International’s three subsidiaries: Washington Penn Plastic Co. Inc., Uniform Color Company, and Southern Polymer, Inc.
“We are very impressed with the support and cooperation given by Walker County as we have searched for the right location for this new plant. Our search covered six states, and Walker County proved to be the best location for us.” said Todd Gummersbach, Audia’s representative.
The project was dubbed Project Eagle by the Walker County Development Authority. The Georgia
Department of Economic Development and the Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority also participated in the negotiations with Audia.
“We are so pleased that Audia will be joining the community of wonderful manufacturers and businesses who call Walker County home,” said Walker County commissioner Bebe Heiskell.
Work has already begun on the engineering for the new plant site by the development authority.
“We are thrilled to have such a strong company invest in our local economy,” said Jeff Mullis, executive director of the Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority.
Construction on the plant is hoped to begin in late summer or early fall with the plant slated to begin
operation in the third quarter of 2015.