High-Line Manufacturing Announces New Facility will be located in Eastman

EASTMAN, Feb. 2, 2007 – High-Line Manufacturing, a division of Imperial Trailers of Jacksonville, Fla., announced at an afternoon press conference plans to locate a manufacturing facility in Eastman, Ga. High-Line Manufacturing will produce Black Iron Industrial Trailers in Eastman. The company will locate in the former National Sign Plastics Building on Herman Avenue. The company plans to invest $1 million and employ more than 50 people at the facility. Plans are for these positions to have a starting pay rate between $12 and $16 an hour. With local and state officials on hand, High-Line Manufacturing President and Co-owner Kim Sheffield stated, 'It is always a pleasure when you are a local resident to be able to bring an industry to a community that you have loved all your life.'
The Eastman facility will be the third manufacturing facility for Imperial Trailers. The company currently has facilities in Jacksonville and Stark, Fla. The company has been producing Black Iron Industrial Trailers for over 10 years. 'We are excited about this expansion into Georgia and Eastman. We found that Eastman is the right city for our product to be produced and distributed to our Southeastern market,' stated Imperial Trailers CEO Mark Fleischer. Imperial Trailers is one of the leaders in this sector of the trailer industry, with annual sales of over $29 million.

State and local officials were on hand at the press conference as well to greet company officials.

'The jobs and investment which High-Line Manufacturing brings to Eastman will be a great asset to the region and to Georgia,' said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. 'We're proud that our state offers an abundance of the qualities companies look for – a great workforce, logistics infrastructure and community support.'

Local officials expressed the community excitement to the announcement. 'This is welcomed news for our community. We are excited to have High-Line Manufacturing as the newest member of the Dodge County Business Community. This announcement is a great way to start the New Year for our economy coming off a record 2006,' stated Eastman-Dodge County Area Chamber of Commerce President F. J. 'Josh' Fenn.

The company plans to start work and improvements on the building in March and plans to be in production by April of this year. The Georgia Department of Labor will be receiving applications in March through local media announcements.