2 Franklin companies add jobs with facility expansions

Two Franklin companies will receive tax abatements to expand their facilities, resulting in new jobs, according to the city.

Franklin City Council has approved Community Reinvestment Act tax abatements for GreenPoint Metals and Unifirst Corp. Both companies are expanding their buildings and said they plan to add new jobs.

Both abatements are for 100 percent of the value of the new construction for 15 years.

GreenPoint Metals, a steel service center, anticipates adding 54 new jobs after it completes its expansion at 301 Shotwell Road. The company is expanding its facility by 57,605 square feet for manufacturing and 3,200 square feet for additional office space. The total value of the improvements is approximately $4.4 million.

Fifty-four new full-time jobs are expected to be created with the expansion of that facility, according to Franklin City Manager Sonny Lewis.

“GreenPoint could have gone somewhere else but they’re staying in Franklin because of the CRA,” Lewis said, adding that the company will begin hiring in about one month.

The average salary for a GreenPoint Metals employee is about $80,000, according to Lewis.

Unifirst Corporation has constructed an 11,000 square foot addition to its laundry facility at 265 Industrial Drive.

Unifirst, which is a uniform rental company, is one of the oldest companies in that area and needed more room, according to Lewis.

The addition to its building will accommodate a new shipping system and expansion of the washing area. The total cost of the improvements was nearly $3 million.

Lewis said the company anticipates creating four new full-time jobs and one part-time job as a result of the expansion.

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