It’s a strong possibility. The American Glove Company, based in Dallas, Oregon, filed tax-abatement paperwork on Friday to open a $775 million facility in tract 14 of the Alcoa property, now called Sandow Lakes. The master plan is being called “Project Saratoga.”
The company makes all kinds of safety and protective gloves, but they are mainly known for the blue nitrile disposable gloves seen in any doctor or dentist’s office.
The company looked at many locations but it came down to Rockdale and Wilmington, Delaware.
Alcoa employee Tommy Hodges made the announcement at Monday’s County Commissioners Court.
“American Glove Company needs all of the infrastructure any manufacturer needs including land, water, fiber optics, access roads and railroad. The Alcoa property has all of them,” according to Hodges.
They will build three one-million-square-foot facilities, and that’s where Rockdale has an advantage over Wilmington. “Alcoa property has all the land they need and even more for any future expansion,” Hodges said
Phase One of the project will start in the first quarter of 2022 with completion by early 2023.
When the American Glove Company representatives talked to County Judge Steve Young, they asked him what Milam County can do for them. And Young had some good news for them.
“We have the potential for a large, regional training center in the county with a $500,000 grant for plan development and a $200 million grant that has been set aside for coal-distressed economies like ours.
“The training center will be able to train all of American Glove Company’s employees, and Temple College has agreed to partner with the Milam County training center,” Young said.
“If these jobs come to Milam County, coupled with the $17-billion Samsung investment in Taylor with 1800 jobs, there will be plenty of work for everyone.
“The American Glove company’s starting pay is $29 per hour, so they are very good-paying jobs at $60,000 per year,” Young said.
The decision on which location the company will choose will be made by the by the end of the year.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.