AUBURN HILLS, Mich., (January 13, 2005) – Guardian Industries announced today that its subsidiary, Guardian Building Products, Inc., is expanding its Albion, Michigan, fiberglass insulation plant with a $25 million makeover that will add up to 135 new jobs.

Guardian currently is one of the city's largest employers, employing 275 people in Albion.

In making the announcement, Duane Faulkner, president of Guardian’s building products group, praised state and local officials who convinced Guardian to expand in Albion.

“We originally assumed that building a new plant closer to our growing markets in the South and West would likely be the most economic choice,” said Faulkner. “However, Michigan’s economic development officials helped make Albion the most economic alternative.” 

The expanded plant will essentially double production at the Albion facility, adding up to 135 new employees.  Guardian’s additional investment will top $25 million with construction beginning as soon as all final clearances, approvals and permits are received.  Production should begin by mid-2006.

“Mayor Bill Wheaton, City Manager Mike Herman and his colleagues at the City, Peggy Sindt of the Albion Economic Development Corporation, Senator Mark Schauer, Congressman Joe Schwarz, Mark Morente and Amy Benninga, both of Governor Granholm’s Economic Development Corporation, all went the extra mile to convince Guardian that Albion was the right choice for the expansion project,” said Faulkner. 

“Albion also offers a productive workforce, which is apparent in the hard workers we already have at the facility. Moreover, Michigan’s electricity restructuring of a few years ago made Albion more competitive from an energy perspective and we are confident Michigan will continue to focus on achieving more competitive electricity prices for manufacturers.”

Guardian made its initial Albion investment in 1980, converting a television picture tube manufacturing facility to the fiberglass insulation process. The plant has operated continuously since that time, turning Guardian into one of Albion’s largest employers.

Guardian Industries Corp., based in Auburn Hills, Mich., is a leading worldwide manufacturer of float glass and fabricated glass products for the commercial and residential construction industries.  Guardian Automotive provides complete exterior systems to the global automotive industry and is a Tier 1, top-100 global automotive supplier.  Guardian’s Building Products Group, headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, includes a substantial fiberglass insulation manufacturing operation and occupies a significant and growing position in the building materials distribution business with more than 100 strategically located distribution centers and brokerage offices in the United States and Canada.  Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 19,000 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.  Visit us at www.guardian.com.

[Adapted from a press release issued by Guardian Industries January 13.]

-30-

 Back to Campus News

.