Chemical manufacturing company breaks ground on Wilkinson facility

IVEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A European based chemical company is expanding from its only site in Milledgeville to a new location in Ivey.

The business’ CEO says he expects to hire about 50-60 people with the possibilities of adding on to the facility once it’s completed.

When good opportunities come, you take them. 

“Sometimes the chemical industry gets a bad wrap,” Bill Burton, the company’s president and CEO, said. 

Zschimmer and Schwarz leaders say their expansion to Wilkinson County is a good opportunity.

“We looked all around Middle Georgia, neighboring states, and even in gulf states, to try and find a plant suitable for our growing chemical company,” Burton said. 

Nearly 50 people watched as representatives broke ground at their new location on Gordon-Mcintyre Road.

The chemical company has looked since 2013 and decided Ivey’s proximity to railways sealed the deal. 

“Our first visit was two years ago and we didn’t know what to expect. To have this today is just great, but it really marks the beginning of the work,” Jonathan Jackson, the executive director of the Development Authority of Wilkinson County, said. 

“We make a lot of chemicals, specialty chemicals, used in products that people use in their everyday lives,” Burton said. 

Z and S makes everything from additives in hair shampoo to motor oil. Leaders worked with the development authority of Wilkinson County on adding on to their business. 

“Years ago the Development Authority of Wilkinson County embarked on a long term strategy to acquire sites that were rail accessed and that’s paying off for us with this type of project,” Jackson said. 

With their only U.S. facility in Milledgeville, Z and S representatives wanted to make sure their company was in a spot that made sense.

“The company has done quite well over the years in growing and we look to be a part of that,” Jackson said. 

66 people work in Z and S’ Milledgeville location and about 25 will start work at their new facility once it’s completed.

That number is expected to grow. Leaders say they anticipate the finished expansion to open up in earl 2017.