A glassmaking company made it clear Wednesday: It will put a new architectural glass fabrication plant in St. George.

Viracon, based in Owatonna, Minn., said the $25 million, 225,000-square-foot facility at Ft. Pierce Industrial Park will boost its glass fabrication capacity by about $40 million when fully operating.

The company will break ground on the plant in May. It expects to have it operational in April next year. It will start with about 150 employees, but the number will climb to 250 to 300 in two to three years.

"With growing markets in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Southern California, Salt Lake City and Denver, St. George is almost in the middle of where we want to be," said Bill Wright, vice president of manufacturing for the new St. George facility.

"St. George really fits our business model and culture. We're kind of a small-town company. We said, 'Let's go find a community where we can go and be a part of the community.' St. George certainly fits that."

Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert said Wednesday's announcement, made during the the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting on the campus of Dixie State College, was an example of a "real team effort."

"This is a win-win-win — for business because companies that come to Utah grow and prosper, for St. George because they attract new jobs and have a great new neighbor, for Washington County because it expands economic opportunity," Herbert said. "This is an example of what we can do throughout Utah."

In a prepared statement, Don Pyatt, Viracon's president, said the plant will have two insulating glass lines, as well as tempering, laminating, coating and silk-screening production lines.

The Governor's Office of Economic Development Board on Feb. 17 approved a $750,000 incentive in hopes of landing the plant in Utah but acknowledged that Viracon had a pending offer from Tucson, Ariz., of nearly $4 million.

The Industrial Assistance Fund incentive was in the form of $3,000 per job for 250 new manufacturing jobs. Incentive documents indicated the company would create 100 to 145 jobs in the first year, jumping to 250 by the third year. Entry-level positions the first year would pay $23,920, or 117 percent of the county median of $20,300. Wages would total more than $58 million over 10 years. New state revenues over 10 years were projected to be nearly $8.2 million. It is getting a local incentive of up to $1 million through cash rebate of property taxes.

In addition to its Minnesota plant, Viracon has a facility in Statesboro, Ga.

Viracon is part of Apogee Enterprises Inc., a 2,000-employee fabricator, distributor and installer of glass products and systems with annual sales of about $300 million.

Viracon's search for a location in the Southwest was assisted by Colliers International, a commercial real estate consultant company. Watts Construction of St. George is in charge of building the new plant.

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