Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
Reporter
July 30, 2008
Where are the obituaries?
Editor’s Note: Regular readers of the Monroe
County Reporter will notice something has
changed this week. It’s the obituaries, which
have been moved from their former home on
page 2A to their new home on page 6A. The
purpose of the move is to give readers more
local news stories on pages 2A and 3A. This
will also give us more room to include more
information and a photo with our death notices.
Thank you for reading the Reporter.
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Call 994-2358
Thank You!
Erosion Tech buys
old Plant Camellia
BY WILL DAVIS
One of Monroe County’s
upstart industries, Erosion
Tech, has finalized its pur
chase of the former Plant
Camellia textile mill in
Juliette.
Erosion Tech makes and
sells silt fences, erosion
blankets, wattles and other
products for erosion con
trol, mostly to construction
companies. It had been
leasing the 437,000 square
foot facility along the
Ocmulgee River from the
Monroe County
Development Authority
since October 2006. And
two months ago, Erosion
Tech exercised its option to
buy the plant from the
Development Authority for
$1,025 million.
Frank Walthall, president
of Erosion Tech, said the
development authority
helped them find the build
ing to allow them to keep
the firm in Monroe County.
He said authority presi
dent Tiffany Andrews has
been instrumental in mak
ing it happen.
“Tiffany is really good to
work with,” said Walthall.
“She’s a big asset to
Monroe County.”
Josh Still, Erosion Tech’s
vice president of market
ing, said they are happy to
be staying in Monroe
County.
“Monroe County is a good
place to do business,” said
Still. “This area is far
enough out that it fits us
and fits what we do.”
He said they like
Juliette’s hometown atmos
phere, adding that it also
has a very good strategic
location near 1-75 to serve
the Atlanta market and to
move south with projects
there.
“It’s a good central loca
tion for us, and fits our
CORRECTION
The precinct-by-precinct
primary results on page 3B
of the July 23 Reporter con
tained an error. The totals
for the District Attorney’s
race in Monroe County
should have been George
Hartwig 775 (56 percent)
and Richard Milam 599 (44
percent). We regret the
error.
needs for a lot of space,”
said Still.
Erosion Tech started in a
small office on Frontage
Road in Forsyth next to the
state patrol building. But
as it grew, the company
decided to buy a large
piece of equipment to make
its products. Thus it need
ed more space. Plant
Camellia, a long-vacant
textile mill with an adja
cent water treatment
plant, was the perfect fit.
Formerly known at Plant
Purcale, or Dan River, the
building itself covers 10
acres and has ceilings tall
enough for Erosion Tech’s
giant manufacturing
machinery. It also has
plenty of rooms for storage.
The company is having to
do a major upgrade to the
roof.
The company employs
about 30 people, about 6 of
which hail from Monroe
County. It reports annual
sales of almost $10 million,
though business has
slowed some with the
nationwide construction
slowdown. Still says they
have customers from all
over the country, yet still
have some walk-up busi
ness.
“We welcome any busi
ness we can get,” said
Walthall, who also owns a
store in Bolingbroke.
Erosion Tech buys much
of its raw product, wheat
straw, from area farmers.
Its finished products help
construction companies
abide with environmental
laws aimed at limiting silt
run-off and erosion.
Walthall, who also owns a
long-time middle Georgia
oil distribution company,
NEW OWNER: Erosion Tech has
bought the former Plant Camel
lia in Juliette from the Monroe
County Development Authority.
The staff includes Roberto Ruiz,
Aurelio Angelez, Juan Ro
driguez, Guillermo Cardenes,
Frank Walthall, Roberto Esco
bar, Matt Rhodes, Amy Willis,
Tim Still, Scoot Kennington,
Langdon Cheeves and Jason
Gordon. (Photo/Will Davis)
Dear Monroe County friends,
Thanks for your overwhelming vote of
confidence in the Republican Primary.
Please remember to Vote Carlisle on Nov. 4
for honesty, experience, straight-talk and
openness in Monroe County government.
Sincerely,
Harold Carlisle
said he’s proud that
Erosion Tech is helping
make products that
improve and protect the
environment.
Erosion Tech is also a
deeply-rooted Middle
Georgia company. The
business partners,
Walthall, Josh Still, his
father Tim Still, Charlotte
Kennington and Matthew
Rhodes, all live in the area.
Andrews said helping the
project stay in Monroe
County fulfilled two of the
authority’s goals: to
increase employment
opportunities and the tax
base in Monroe County.
“It has been a pleasure
working with Erosion Tech
over the past two years,”
said Andrews. “This type of
project is where I get my
gratification.”
She noted that Erosion
Tech is now able to add
product lines and expand
and that the property now
goes back on the tax books.
The development authori
ty still owns the adjacent
water treatment plant
because the county is con
sidering buying it to add to
its water capacity. If it
doesn’t exercise its option
to buy it, then Erosion
Tech is likely to buy it as
well.
The company leases part
of its warehouse to Georgia
Power for equipment stor
age for nearby Plant
Scherer, and is also willing
to lease some of the 100
acres the surround its
building.
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