IKO confirms shingle plant near Clay Hill

BY DAN HILDEBRAN

ClayCivic.com Publisher

IKO, a Canada-based roofing, waterproofing, and insulation manufacturer, confirmed that it plans to construct a new manufacturing campus in Clay County.

Last November, the company applied for plant permits with the St. Johns River Water Management District.

That same month, Clay County commissioners approved economic development rebates and a tangible personal property tax rebate for the project.

The company said construction of the new $270 million site would include an asphalt shingle production facility, an insulation board plant, and a commercial rolled roofing plant. 

Last year, Clay County economic development officials put the company’s investment in the new facility at $225 million.

“The 300,000 square foot facilities will initially employ about 100 people locally,” IKO said in a news release. “The company intends to begin work on the site near (U.S.) 301 and County Road 218 later this year.  It marks the eighth modern shingle production line in IKO’s North American manufacturing operations and the first facility it has built in the state of Florida.”

“As a company, we have a strong belief that you can never remain static; you are always in a situation where you are looking to contract or grow your business,” explained David Koschitzky, CEO of IKO North America. “In the past decade, we’ve made some of the largest investment commitments we’ve ever made as a family business. They are a clear statement of our belief in the growth of our company and of the strength of our industry.  Clay County and the Clay County Economic Development Corporation have been great partners for us as we looked at this project, and we’re very pleased to be building our first-ever Florida facility.”

The company said its current timetable for the three production lines anticipates that the shingle line will be commissioned and shipping product to market by mid-2025.

IKO operates more than 35 manufacturing plants throughout North America and Europe.  The enterprise is a family-owned business established in 1951.

Crawford Powell, president of the Clay County Economic Development Corporation, said the company’s move into the area would provide multi-generational jobs, much like what the E.I. DuPont Company and its successor Chemours provided when DuPont launched its Trail Ridge operations in the 1940s.

“This project will provide generational opportunities for Clay County residents in the form of quality, high-wage employment, and the county as a whole will benefit from the significant capital investment,” Crawford said.