Massive Hillman Group distribution facility opens in Shannon
Rows and rows of packed products fill the shelves of the Hillman Group’s largest distribution facility in the U.S., located in Shannon.
The massive 450,000 square foot facility will consolidate the company’s operations in Northwest Georgia and serve as a distribution center for its Protective Solutions division, comprised of flagship brands like Firm Grip and AWP work gear.
“This is a $40 million investment for you,” Frank Stephens, vice president of supply chain operations, told employees and locals at the ribbon cutting on Wednesday. “It was built for Floyd County and for you.”
For scale, the building has a footprint of nearly 10 acres and local officials worked hard make sure the company consolidated in Floyd County.
The Rome-Floyd County Development Authority approved in May a $34 million bond for the construction. At the same time, it approved a $3 million bond for The Hillman Group to equip the facility.
The company, which purchased Big Time Products, will combine several of its Floyd County operations in the building. Founded in 1964 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Hillman is a global supplier of a variety of hardware product lines.
The project will net it a 10-year tax abatement package, with a 100% abatement in the first year that decreases by 10% each succeeding year. In lieu of property taxes, the company will make a payment of $36,750 per year to the development authority.
In its initial announcement, The Hillman Group said the project would enable the company to retain 144 existing jobs and add 50 new ones.
It’s not the only new structure on the property. Plymouth REIT is constructing an 180,000-square-foot speculative building near its 236,600-square-foot spec building on the site.