ELECTRICFIL STARTS EXPANSION IN ELKMONT THIS SUMMER

An Elkmont industry is expanding and has plans to grow their employee base by more than 125 jobs. EFI Automotive Inc. (Electricfil Corporation) plans to construct the North American Corporate office in Elkmont beginning this summer. Construction is scheduled for a 2015 completion. Lane said most of the new jobs will be in production but will include a few engineers, technicians and administrative employees.

EFI, which opened its Elkmont plant in 2004, is up to 150 jobs at the facility after initially committing to 84 in return for tax abatements. With a 2012 expansion, it committed to another 120 jobs for new abatements. The company expects to reach the 200-job level in 2015 and, with the newly announced corporate office, it will grow to 325 by 2017.

Finance manager Scott Rogers said the company forecasts sales of $43 million in 2015, an increase of about 50 percent over the current year.
The company projects sales will grow to more than $50 million a year by the time this latest expansion is complete in 2017, Lane said.

"We're hoping the North American headquarters will give us more of a presence in the country," Elkmont plant spokeswoman Lynn Lane said.
EFI is headquartered in Beynost, France. The Elkmont facility produces electronics — mainly sensors used in vehicle engines and transmissions — for automotive powertrain applications.

The project is scheduled to cost $2,668,000.

EFI began in Elkmont in 2004 with a commitment to grow up to 84 jobs. The company expanded in 2012 with another commitment of 120 jobs.

The new project will elevate Electrifil to one of the county’s Top 5 manufacturing employers.

On Monday, the Elkmont Town Council approved tax abatements including a property tax abatement totaling $130,000 over a 10-year period and a onetime sales tax abatement totaling $137,580 during the construction period.

The project is expected to create more than $100,000 in tax revenue for education over 10 years, with $62,641 in property tax revenues and $45,860 in sales tax revenues.

“EFI has been a good corporate citizen,” Mayor Tracy Compton said, “Our new water line and tank project to serve the Elkmont Industrial Park-North has been a great partnership between industry (EFI and Snap-On), the Limestone County Commission, Town of Elkmont, LCEDA and the State of Alabama.”

Chairman Stanley Menefee believes that EFI has been positive for Limestone County by creating good paying jobs and a having a good work environment.

“Expansions of existing industries are as important as announcing new industries,” Menefee said. “It means the industries are happy with their choice to locate in Limestone County, and they want to continue to operate here.”

Source: Athens News Courier
Source: Decatur Daily