Fort Smith
Owens Corning of Toledo, Ohio, will build a 550,000-SF manufacturing facility on 56 acres adjacent to its current property in Fort Smith, the company announced on Monday.
The building materials manufacturer is getting incentives including $250,000 from the governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund to build the facility, which will replace its current building and is scheduled to start producing in mid-2023.
Owens Corning said it will add five employees to the site’s current workforce of 79.
“Owens Corning appreciates the support provided by Governor [Asa] Hutchinson, the Fort Smith Board of Directors, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce throughout the planning process,” said Marcio Sandri, president of the composites business at Owens Corning.
“We’re proud to have been part of the Fort Smith community for more than three decades and we look forward to future growth. With this new state-of-the-art facility, Owens Corning is investing in the future of Fort Smith and our business,” he said.
Owens Corning began production in Fort Smith in 1984. The plant produces mat for roofing shingles and other nonwoven products. The new plant will also produce roofing mat and add capacity to its network to service growing demand for a number of building material applications, the company said.
“It is always a good day in Arkansas when one of our companies increases its investment in our communities and our economy,” Hutchinson said in a news release. “Owens Corning is a well-respected company, globally and here in Arkansas, and I am confident of their success in the future.”
Owens Corning will use the state’s $250,000 to build a road at the facility. The company also qualifies for the Advantage Arkansas program, which provides a state income tax credit of 1% of total payroll, and the Tax Back program, which provides sales tax refunds on building materials, taxable machinery and equipment.
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