Glass manufacturer Viracon reopens St. George plant; 300+ jobs by end of 2015
Written by Brent Bonner
Kevin Anez, director of marketing and product development for the Owatonna, Minn.-based company, confirmed that Viracon will be reopening their St. George manufacturing location, with plans for production to start in January 2015.
The plant, located at 1586 E. Venture Dr., was shuttered in April 2013, resulting in the loss of some 222 jobs. But demand for commercial architectural glass has risen sharply in the last six months, so much so that the company is not only re-opening, but expanding, the facility.
“The commercial market has come back very strong; we haven’t seen this much strength in the market for several years. We have been receiving more and more orders, and just gotten a lot busier lately,” Anez said. “We’ve got customers wanting glass, and we’re trying to expand capacity.”
Job projections for the plant should exceed former payrolls, reaching 300-plus jobs by the end of 2015, Anez said.
Jason Fransdsen will be taking the reins of the plant once again, with a crew beginning preliminary startup operations immediately.
