VIDEO: More than 150 new jobs expected for Valdosta area

• Valdosta is gearing up to host Arglass' expansion in glass manufacturing, with plans to double its capacity by 125 percent.
• This state-of-the-art facility, valued at over $225 million, is set to become a hub of sustainability and flexibility in South Georgia
• Watch the video to hear from Governor Brian Kemp share Valdosta's progress economically.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT

Over 150 jobs will be coming to Valdosta, thanks to Arglass’s new expansion plan.

"It's going to be a state of the art and most flexible glass facility in the world, right here in Valdosta." I’m Malia Thomas, your neighborhood reporter in Valdosta. I’m looking into how this move will bring millions of dollars right into our neighborhoods.

Tony Krznar works in operations at Arglass. He's only been living here for over a year, but he tells me he's been happy with all the support he sees in our community. "Georgia government has been extremely supportive, especially Lowndes County, Valdosta. Valdosta's people, they've really taken me, us in."

Jose Arozamena, Arglass' CEO, tells me that support shows him that the overall $450 million the company has invested in Valdosta was the right decision. "We had a lot of of criteria for selection of where we would locate a first class, and in that list there were a lot of factors. The community, the communications, transportation and Valdosta all came on top."

Arglass' investment will help boost Valdosta, and by extension South Georgia, economically.

Valdosta is set to host the most advanced glass manufacturing facility globally, with plans to double its capacity, making it 125 percent larger than before and doubling the company's workforce by bringing in 150 extra tech and manufacturing jobs.

These jobs will have a starting pay of $20 per hour, much higher than Valdosta's average salary as $16.65 per hour and the state's minimum wage of $7.25.

This is on top of Arglass' other ongoing projects, like a dedicated recycling facility, a 5 MW solar panel farm, and strong partnerships with the Georgia government Wiregrass Tech and Valdosta State University.

Governor Brian Kemp stopped by to celebrate this milestone and share how Valdosta's doing economically. "It has been incredible to me to see and continue to just shake my head at the number of projects that we've seen just in the last five years. We've been involved in 25 projects, over 1800 new jobs and $1.1 billion of investment."

The recycling facility is expected to come online by mid-2025. In Valdosta, I’m Malia Ghomas, ABC27.