Team Durant Goes The Extra Mile For Cardinal Glass

The second time proved to be the charm for Durant, Oklahoma, when it came to luring the nation's premier glass manufacturer, Cardinal Glass, to Bryan County. After being eliminated from the initial site location search for the company's newest float glass production facility, the tenacity of Team Durant and state leaders paid off, and Durant was granted an opportunity to provide a site that more closely matched the criteria for the project.

"This is the perfect case showing it isn't over when they say 'no'; that's when the selling starts," says Charles Kimbrough, a recruiter for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

Cardinal Glass had very specific location needs for the facility, including a 35-foot drop-off from one end of the facility to the other. In addition, access to rail service on the proper side of the plant was a key factor since the sand used in manufacturing float glass is brought in by rail. Locating near a supply of silica sand would reduce the cost of raw materials, allowing Cardinal Glass to remain competitive in the world market.

Team Durant -- the determined, hard-working band of economic developers in Bryan County --went the extra mile to find the perfect location for Cardinal Glass: a farm located in Durant.

"All of the specs mentioned in the original proposal were met," says Kimbrough. "We couldn't have built a more perfect location. This site had everything."

In addition, the creation of a Tax Increment Financing district (TIF) provided necessary funds for a new one million gallon water tower, industrial access roads, water and sewer infrastructure and soil stabilization. Today, Durant is home to the $102.5 million, 560,000 square-foot manufacturing facility--the largest single investment in the history of Durant and Bryan County.

Roger   O'Shaugnessy

Cardinal Glass Float Glass Manufacturing Facility At-A-Glance: Located on 80 acres, the site was chosen after a rigorous search that included evaluating 11 locations throughout Oklahoma and North Texas. The payroll alone will inject more than $11 million annually to the City of Durant and Bryan County The plant is designed to melt 650 tons of glass daily on a continuous basis and will serve markets in Oklahoma, Texas, California, and Iowa This is the 20th plant for Cardinal Glass Industries and the 4th float glass facility Total investment in Oklahoma to date: $125 million Total current employment: 265 Key Site Location Needs: Special site characteristics Proximity to the south/southwest market Highway and rail access Quality workforce Customized training Spousal employment opportunities Quality of life Cost of doing business Oklahoma "One-Stop" Site Selection Team Oklahoma Department of Commerce Team Durant Oklahoma Tax Commission Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality Oklahoma Natural Gas CareerTech

Contact:
Charles Kimbrough
405-815-5361
800-879-6552