Manufacturer expands in Polk County

A military supplier broke ground today on a $5 million facility in Polk County. Engineered Fabrics Corporation plans to hire 150 more employees to fill the new plant. The expansion would bring the company’s workforce in Rockmart to 850, making it the top private employer in the northwest Georgia county.

Polk County Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority President Karolyn Hutchinson says many of the county’s 41,000 residents now leave it to work. Others, she says, lost their jobs when the Ford Motor Co. plant in Hapeville and the General Motors facility in Doraville shut down.

“Hopefully, some of those folks who are no longer employed, this will give them gainful employment here at home, rather than forcing them to seek employment elsewhere,” Hutchinson says.

In a written release, New York-based EFC says strong demand from the military drove its decision to expand in Rockmart. When the new plant opens next year, the company expects to produce fuel tanks, de-icing equipment and helicopter upholstery products.