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The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) recently announced that Vestar Technologies will open its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Covington in Newton County. Vestar is a new venture, and will manufacture specialty metal products used in a number of high-tech and growing industries including semiconductor and LED lighting. The company expects to create at least 100 jobs, with operations scheduled to begin in December 2011.
“Vestar’s decision to locate in Georgia helps illustrate how our business climate, which ranks among the nation’s best, continues to create opportunities for Georgians and for businesses,” said GDEcD Commissioner Chris Cummiskey. “We work aggressively to be a go-to resource for advanced manufacturers like Vestar, ultimately to support their business growth in Georgia and in all markets where they operate.”
Vestar’s 99,000-square-foot Newton County facility will be equipped with advanced manufacturing and processing equipment, representing a significant investment in materials, products and manufacturing. The company’s Covington location will provide convenient access to the various resources needed to support the current and future growth of the company.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to open this state-of-the-art manufacturing center in Covington. With the support of the state of Georgia and the Covington region, Vestar is well positioned for current and future success,” said Vestar Technologies CEO Robin Cook. “We are excited about the growth potential in the industries served and the opportunities this means for the people of the Covington area.”
Newton County is a Georgia Certified Work Ready Community, signifying that the community’s workforce is highly skilled and trained to meet the needs of Vestar Technologies and other existing and potential businesses in this region. The Georgia Work Ready initiative works with communities throughout the state to ensure Georgia workers have the best skills and training opportunities, and remain among the state’s most competitive assets.
“Covington and Newton County are pleased to welcome Vestar Technologies to our community. We have a long-standing tradition of partnership and close collaboration with our corporate citizens and we are confident Vestar will be a great addition to our community,” said Covington Mayor Kim Carter. “We know we will have a winning team combining their manufacturing expertise with our employment base and outstanding public infrastructure. We wish them much success as they begin their operations in Georgia.”
The Georgia Department of Economic Development partnered with the Covington/Newton County Chamber of Commerce and Electric Cities of Georgia to manage this business opportunity for Georgia. Vestar will also receive workforce training assistance from Quick Start, Georgia’s top-ranked workforce training initiative, to train new hires to its specifications.
“A project of this size doesn't happen without a significant amount of teamwork. There were so many people involved in making Vestar's Covington facility come to fruition, and, in a deal like this, if even one party is out of sync, the deal won’t happen,” said Roger Harrison, Senior Vice President of Economic Development for the Covington/Newton County Chamber of Commerce. “Vestar's choice of the State of Georgia and ultimately Covington/Newton County sends a strong message that we are serious about economic development, and everyone involved is working together in harmony for the greater good of the new business, the economy, and job creation in the community.”
GDEcD senior project manager Andrew Neumann managed this project on behalf of the state.
Information regarding job openings with Vestar Technologies is available by contacting the Georgia Department of Labor's Covington Career Center at 770-784-2455 or http://www.dol.state.ga.us.
About GDEcD
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a destination for arts events and location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. www.georgia.org
