Adventure Homes Expanding Facility, Adding Jobs

Garrett council OKs tax abatement for expansion

Posted: Thursday, October 17, 2013 12:05 pm

KPC MEDIA GROUP

The Garrett Common Council on Tuesday approved a declaratory resolution to give a tax break for an expansion project of F&H Associates LLC, a holding company for a building occupied by Adventure Homes, KPC Media Group Inc. reported.

Co-owner Walt Fuller told the council he plans to add an 18,180-square-foot expansion valued at $375,000 at the plant’s facility at 1119 Fuller Drive in Garrett’s industrial park.

The proposed expansion is needed to lengthen the plant’s assembly-line area in order to install and paint drywall in the manufactured homes. Fuller said he hopes to be able to add 25 jobs in the next three years, starting with 10 each in the first and second years and five in the third.

Fuller and his partners purchased the plant in 2009 when Fleetwood Homes announced it would close and its 65 workers would be out of work.

“I am asking for a little help. We don’t make the money I’d like to make,” Fuller told the council.

Ken McCrory of the DeKalb County Economic Partnership told the board the company pays good wages and plans to add employees.

City attorney Dan Brinkerhoff reminded the council the abatement would not apply to taxes paid on the current assessed value of the facility and would affect only the increased valuation of improvements. Under the city’s tax abatement formula, the project qualifies for an eight-year abatement.

Brinkerhoff estimated the base taxes would be $50,000, saving the company about $40,000 over the eight-year period. A public hearing on the measure is planned at the Nov. 5 council meeting.