debtirst Quality Baby Products, LLC will invest $418 million to expand its manufacturing footprint in Macon-Bibb County, Georgia, creating 600 new jobs.
“We are always grateful when job-creating companies like First Quality choose to expand their operations in Georgia, and we continue to work hard to strengthen these long-term partnerships that enrich communities across our state,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “More than 70 percent of our economic development projects last year were expansions for companies already operating in our state, and thanks to companies like First Quality, we expect this positive trend to continue.”
First Quality Baby Products, LLC and its affiliates manufacture baby diapers, infant and training pants, adult incontinence products, feminine hygiene and wipe products, paper towels and bath tissue, as well as packaging products for the healthcare, retail and commercial channels.
First Quality’s expansion facility will be built adjacent to its current location in Macon. The company has been based in Macon since 2008, following the acquisition of Covidien™ Retail Products.
“First Quality has been a strong member of the Macon-Bibb team for many years, and we are proud to be with them on this project that will invest millions of dollars in new infrastructure for our community, retaining hundreds of jobs and creating hundreds more,” said Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller. “This is a great community in a great state to do business, and First Quality’s success and expansion is a testament to that.”
P&B Cold Storage Invests in Southern Georgia
TThe Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority (VLCDA) announced that P&B Cold Storage will build a 200,000 square foot facility in Valdosta’s Westside Industrial Park, a significant development that will create 100 new jobs and generate more than $30 million in capital investment.
“We are pleased that P&B Cold Storage chose Valdosta to build their new facility,” said Brad Folsom, VLCDA board chairman. “They are making a significant investment in our community that will help add jobs and boost our local and regional economies.”
P&B Cold Storage is a subsidiary of North American Cold Storage, founded by Scott Parker and Michael Betten in 2013. With 50 years of experience in the public refrigerated storage industry, Parker and Betten take a “hands-on” approach to operations and have developed a business model that provides cost-effective and reliable service to their customers.
After opening their first P&B Cold Storage warehouse in Woodburn, Indiana, in 2019, the co-owners began looking to expand.
“Last year, we began talking to our customers about the need to consolidate their current supply network into fewer locations,” Parker says. “They needed a distribution center in the South and didn’t want to compete with the already congested Atlanta area, so we started looking at other cities along the Interstate 75 corridor.”
Parker added that location was a deciding factor in choosing the Valdosta site: “This was a strategic location decision to meet the supply chain needs throughout the South, particularly Georgia and Florida.”
Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson said, “P&B Cold Storage’s investment in our community is a testament to Valdosta’s attractiveness as a business-friendly environment. This important development will not only bring much-needed jobs to our city, but it will strengthen our position as a major player in the local economy. We welcome P&B Cold Storage to Valdosta and look forward to the positive impact they will have on our community.”
As the company expands, including building a new location in Indiana scheduled to open in 2025, Betten said, “We know that our success is based on how we recognize and value our employees. We have an obligation to support our employees in every way available to us, including great wages and benefits, flexible hours and assistance with continuing education.”
“Valdosta’s prime location and strong infrastructure consistently attracts major food processing and logistics companies, solidifying its reputation as a central hub in the Southeast Corridor,” said Andrea Schruijer, VLCDA executive director. “By locating in Valdosta, P&B Cold Storage will be able to reliably and efficiently distribute refrigerated goods throughout the Southeast.”
