Компания OPI South инвестирует 2,08 млн долларов в завод в Декатуре и создаст 23 рабочих места

OPI South LLC plans to invest $2.08 million in a Decatur manufacturing facility that is expected to create 23 jobs within three years. The Industrial Development Board of Decatur on Tuesday approved $95,658 in tax abatements for the company, which plans to manufacture custom foam products and container solutions at 722 Summit Drive S.E. OPI South is a new division of Baltimore-based Office Products Inc. The company is leasing the Summit Drive building as part of its expansion. Roger Baldizsar, vice president of military and commercial sales, told the IDB that the company is opening the Decatur manufacturing facility along with warehouse space in Florida and Arizona. “We’re mostly a foam company, so, if you need something cushioned, we’re the company to come to because we do all of the work,” Baldizsar said. He said the company focuses on Alabama's automotive, aerospace and commercial markets because of the government presence in the Huntsville area. Baldizsar described OPI South as a “container-solution company” that primarily makes cushioned corrugated boxes and totes for the automotive industry. He said OPI also is Pelican's distributor for the South. “We design those inserts to be able to put electronic equipment or guns into cases for the aerospace industry,” he said. He said Mazda Toyota Manufacturing and Mercedes use OPI foam in packaging designed to protect their products. Baldizsar previously worked for Soule Packaging in Athens before its owners closed the company. He said OPI is stepping into the market left by Soule and has hired many of his former co-workers. The project is expected to create 23 jobs within three years at an average annual wage of $66,000, excluding benefits. OPI plans to begin operations at the Summit Drive facility Sept. 1, but Baldizsar said he doesn't expect the company to remain there long. It already is looking for property for a company-owned facility. IDB attorney Barney Lovelace said the investment includes manufacturing equipment and other personal property. The abatements include an estimated $55,720 in state, Decatur and Morgan County noneducational personal property taxes over 10 years, or about $5,572 annually. OPI also received estimated sales-and-use-tax abatements of $22,463 from Decatur and $17,475 from the state during the investment period. The abatements do not apply to taxes earmarked for education or certain state development funds. The project will continue to generate an estimated $7,218 annually in school-related personal property taxes and $289 annually for the Alabama Development Fund. During the investment period, it also is expected to generate $7,500 in sales and use taxes benefiting Morgan County school systems and $14,475 in non-abated state sales and use taxes for the Alabama Development Fund.