Factory expansion brings new jobs

Local manufacturer StruXure Outdoor will soon be undergoing an expansion that will create 25 jobs in the short term and 40 over the next three years, according to officials.
It’s a move that was made possible by bonds issued by the Lumpkin County Development Authority and Department of Community Affairs’ Georgia Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act (GARJA).
“This funding will be pivotal in helping StruXure expand and scale at the level we are capable of,” said Structure CEO Scott Selzer in a recent release. “We are currently experiencing exceptional growth in both our corporate and residential channels. This investment is enabling us to keep pace with that growth.”
Formerly Arcadia Outdoor Structures, StruXure designs and manufactures adjustable louvered roof systems for outdoor living spaces for both the residential and commercial market.
The company changed its name to StruXure in 2018.
“After years of performing under [Arcadia], the company frequently heard themselves referred to as ‘The Structure Guys,’” said Development Authority Executive Director Rebecca Mincey.
The company moved to Lumpkin in 2016, purchasing the old Ethan Allen building and refit it to its own requirements.
It now plans to purchase the property and building next door.
The company approached the Development Authority in early 2019, “expressing a need for more space,” Mincey said. “[We] entered into an agreement that would include issuing Industrial Revenue Bonds [for the purchase].”
The Authority will lease the facility back to StruXure for the cost of the financing.
GARJA made the investment possible, supporting the company’s growth, the county’s economic well being and job creation.
“They are anticipating to be fully operational in the expansion location around the fall of 2020,” she added.
“StruXure Outdoor is truly a success story for Lumpkin County,” said the Authority’s Chairman, Jim Curtis. “Assisting them to locate to Lumpkin County in 2016 and now expand in 2019 demonstrates the Development Authority of Lumpkin County’s purpose to promote and provide for economic development in Lumpkin County.”
The Nugget was unable to obtain the exact dollar amount of the bonds issued by press-time.
However, Advantage Capital, in connection with GARJA, announced an investment of $1.75 million to support the expansion.
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