Updated 4:30 p.m. March 4: This story has been updated with the current number of employees at Interstate Group’s Giles County facility and the expansion timeline.
A manufacturer of trailers will invest $8.9 million to expand its Giles County facility, creating 46 jobs, the governor’s office announced Tuesday.
Interstate Group makes a variety of trailers for hauling cargo, debris, equipment and vehicles, among other things. It sells them through the TrailersPlus dealership network.
The expansion will allow Interstate Group to increase the availability of its products on the East Coast, according to a news release from Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
To accommodate the expansion, the company will add automation, new machinery and facility upgrades, according to the release.
“This investment will allow us to meet the growing demand for simple, reliable cargo, dump, and utility trailers while creating new jobs for the community,” Interstate COO John Whitman said in the release.
The Giles County facility current has 120 employees, and the company anticipates a five-year timeline for the expansion.
Spanberger approved a $200,000 state grant to help Giles County with the project. The company will be eligible for support from a state job creation program.
“Interstate Group’s decision to expand in Giles County underscores why Virginia continues to be a top destination for American manufacturers,” Spanberger said in the release. “This multi-million-dollar investment will create good‑paying jobs in the New River Valley and strengthen the Commonwealth’s advanced manufacturing sector.”
In 2018, Interstate Group announced it would invest $4.1 million to establish its 100,000-square-foot facility in the former GE Fairchild Mining Equipment plant at 200 Fairchild Lane in Giles County, which at the time was said to create 83 jobs.
Giles County Administrator Chris McKlarney said in Tuesday’s news release that officials there are grateful for the company’s “continued investment and job creation in our region.”
“They have truly immersed themselves in our community by providing jobs and opportunity and by actively participating in and supporting local initiatives,” McKlarney said.