Big land deal lands 470 news jobs in Whitfield County

Hanwha strategies growth on solar mobile facility in Dalton purchases plot of land for $171 million

DALTON (WDEF) – Again in 1986, Timbuk 3 unveiled a tune named “The Future’s So Shiny, I Gotta Put on Shades.”

It is 36 years later, and Whitfield County is subscribing to that mantra, now that a enterprise has a offer to extend its amenities in Dalton.

Hanwha, a organization presently in Dalton that tends to make photo voltaic cells called QCells, is setting up an enlargement.

Whitfield County sold a plot of land to the firm for $171 million, bringing 470 new, long-lasting positions to the region.

Jevin Jensen, the Whitfield County Commission Chair, tells Information 12 “We want to diversify our economic system. We’re a producing hub, and which is not heading to change, but we have to have to count on other industries, not just the flooring covering and housing industries. So, to get into solar and the environmentally friendly vitality revolution that’s actually going all over the globe was crucial, and so they can extend it and to further diversify our task base and our economic system is wonderful.”

The offer is so good that both U.S. Senators from Georgia touted the achievement. Sen. Jon Ossoff states, “I’m performing almost everything that I can with my authority at the federal level to catch the attention of these work opportunities and investments to our point out to make Georgia the entire world chief in renewable electricity, producing and innovation, and to make all this technology more available for doing the job people and smaller organizations.”

Ossoff claims he sat down with business leaders in Seoul, South Korea to support make this offer come about.

These work opportunities aren’t bare minimum wage positions, both. Whitfield County leadership manufactured sure of it.

Jensen: “We are seriously centered on larger-shelling out jobs, so they require to be previously mentioned our median fork out. These are in the 18 to 19 dollar (an hour) range. I’m pushing them to get to 20, but they are not really there but. But which is nevertheless higher than our median for each capita earnings that we have in Whitfield County. It will make improvements to our income, (and) supply some superior paying work.”

Hanwha has been in Dalton due to the fact building commenced on its authentic facility back in 2018. This offer reveals the partnership concerning corporation and county is not only excellent, but thriving.

Jensen claims, “It’s a acquire-win for the enterprise and the county, but this will be the very first time that we have in fact marketed house and be ready to get better our charges, and I want to give that back again to the taxpayers.”

Because of Whitfield County’s unique expenditure into Hanwha’s coming to Dalton, Jensen strategies to force the County Commission to make it possible for a specified amount of the cash from the land deal to be supplied again to taxpayers as a thank you.

So, a county resident can get a job and a rebate. Not bad if you can get it.