Germany-based ae group ag, a supplier of assembly-ready, high-pressure aluminum die casting parts and components for the automotive and aerospace industries, has selected LaGrange, Ga., as the site of its first U.S. manufacturing operation and North American headquarters.

The new facility will bring 300 jobs and a $50 million investment to the state during the next five years.

ae group has more than 1,600 employees at seven locations in Europe. The company’s customers include DaimlerChrysler, Porsche, Audi and Siemens VDO.

The company has studied the Southeast U.S. market and anticipates growth to $45 million in sales within several years after startup.

The company chose Georgia for the project after a multi-state search. It will initially invest $15 million in a 200,000 square foot manufacturing plant. Construction was slated to begin this month, and operations are expected to begin early next year.

Up to 80 workers will be hired during the first year to work on an aluminum die casting line and a machining line, both of which employ high levels of automation and robotics, according to the company.

“We are impressed with Georgia’s favorable business environment and project management experience, as well as the [state’s] ability to fast-track this project,” said Rupert Frech, a member of ae group’s board of directors.

Companies Take Advantage of Quick Start

Quick Start will provide work force training for the project. Quick Start provides training services at no cost to new and expanding companies in Georgia.

“The high quality of worker skills we found here, together with the Quick Start training program, really confirmed our feeling that Georgia offers the best opportunities for our company’s future growth,” Frech said.

Quick Start was also instrumental in the decision by cell phone battery refurbishment company E7 Technologies to relocate to Georgia.

The privately owned company moved its operations from Harvest, Ala., to Thomaston in July. The operation involves receiving, sorting, testing and restoring cell phone batteries. The company’s initial investment is about $1 million.

E7 Technologies has projected sales of between $5 million and $10 million annually. The company’s customer base includes Radio Shack, Sprint PCS and Palco Telcom.

The company is initially employing 40 workers and projects that it will hire between 75 and 100 employees.

Georgia Tech University’s FaciliTech Program will provide services to the company, including environmental compliance and equipment layout, while Quick Start and Flint River Technical College will develop programs to train employees.

The company will also work with the Georgia Department of Labor and local work force development agencies to recruit and screen employees.

ICForm Moves Into Columbus

Canadian company ICForm selected Columbus for its newest plant earlier this year. ICForm is investing up to $16 million and plans to create 100 jobs in a multi-phase project.

A division of the privately held Canadian firm Polyform, ICForm will manufacture NUDURA integrated building technology forms for construction. Polyform manufactures foam-type products used in a variety of applications, including construction materials, packaging, insulation, automotive, containers, floatation devices and helmets.

“Columbus is a strategic geographic location to cover the Southeast [U.S.] market,” said Francois Beauchesne, vice president of sales and business development for ICForm. “We had increasing freight costs and a necessity for the insulated concrete form market to be able to have same-day pick up and next-day delivery service.”

Insulated concrete form is the No. 1 growing market for tornado and hurricane regions, Beauchesne said.

“We needed a strategic location to obtain access to multiple ports for Europe, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico,” he said. “Georgia is the best location for these access points.”

A consumer products company with a global reach has decided to keep its distribution and logistics operation in Georgia.

Reckitt Benckiser, which has offices and facilities in more than 200 countries, will relocate its Suwanee operations to a new 400,000 square foot complex in Jefferson.

The company considered multiple locations in different communities and states before deciding to locate the 100-person facility in Jefferson. It will operate the facility with a Georgia-based third-party logistics company.

In support of the project, the Georgia Department of Labor, the city of Jefferson and Lanier Technical College will work together to assist in the relocation.

“Based upon an extensive review, we found Jefferson to be the ideal place to relocate our facility,” said David Eichman, regional logistics manager for Reckitt Benckiser. “The local and state economic development agencies and governmental entities have been key partners throughout the process.”

Ground was also broken in April on a $55 million expansion of the headquarters of Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) in Alpharetta. The company, a provider of transaction processing and information-based business solutions, expects the expansion to be completed by mid-2006.

“We are pleased to be expanding our presence in Georgia with the opening of this new facility,” said Gary Butler, president and chief operating officer for ADP.