By Ron Hamilton, Shelbyville News staff writer
City leaders Monday night voted to assist the city's largest employer in launching a new operation that could employ as many as eight new workers.
Members of the Shelbyville Common Council voted unanimously to grant Knauf Insulation at 1 Knauf Drive a 10-year tax abatement in the amount of nearly $2.9 million for the rehabilitation of property and the installation of new manufacturing and logistical distribution equipment.
According to company officials, Knauf plans to expand its research and development building at 400 Industrial Park Drive - known as the old Tasco building - to include a manufacturing facility which will make spinners used in the manufacture of glass wool insulation. Officials said the company will save money by making the spinners "in-house."
"The spinners made in Shelbyville will supply the Knauf facility here in Shelbyville as well as those in Lanett, Ala., and Shasta Lake, Calif.," said company attorney Aaron M. Reed in documents submitted to the council.
Company officials told city leaders that construction work on the building addition should begin late next week and be completed by June 2010. The new operation is expected to retain six jobs and create from six to eight new ones, each with an average salary of $40,000 per year, officials said. According to tax abatement documents, Knauf currently employs more than 700 workers.
"The spinner operation will either be run on a 24/5 or 24/7 basis," Reed said. "If 24/5 is decided upon, the company will hire six employees to work a five-day, eight-hour shift cycle. If 24/7 is required, the plan is to hire eight employees to work on a four-day, 12-hour shift cycle."
Company officials noted that the new employees would have to be technically skilled, with a preference for those familiar with programming and running Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) equipment. New personnel will receive extensive training on running and setting up the machining equipment, balancer and drilling machine
"New personnel also will receive on-the-job training at the Knauf spinner manufacturing facility in Belgium," Reed said. "They will be salary, non-exempt and therefore will be eligible for overtime pay."
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