Texas firm expands to Ringgold, Georgia, to make wooden trusses, engineered beams

Contributed photo / Panel Truss Texas acquired a 22,000-square-foot warehouse in Ringgold, Georgia from Sun Mills Carpet and Flooring to develop another production facility to make wood roof and floor trusses and engineered beams. The new owners are spending $1.8 million and plan to hire 30 workers.
Contributed photo / Panel Truss Texas acquired a 22,000-square-foot warehouse in Ringgold, Georgia from Sun Mills Carpet and Flooring to develop another production facility to make wood roof and floor trusses and engineered beams. The new owners are spending $1.8 million and plan to hire 30 workers.

A Texas-based producer of structural building components is adding another plant in Ringgold, Georgia, to build and fabricate wooden trusses and engineered beams to serve the Tennessee Valley.

Panel Truss Texas Inc., announced Tuesday it plans to hire 30 workers to staff a new production plant on Industrial Drive in Ringgold. Dickie Vail, co-owner of Panel Truss Texas, said the company will spend $1.8 million to buy and convert the former Sun Mills Carpet and Flooring warehouse and showroom into a factory to help make trusses and other structural building parts.

"Catoosa County is the perfect home for us to grow and better serve our customers in the I-75 corridor between Atlanta, Knoxville and beyond," Vail said. "Already, we have business shipping into Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville."

Panel Truss Texas Inc. has more than 30 years of experience in the truss industry. Headquartered in Henderson, Texas, the company has additional production facilities in Hearne and Dallas, Texas and in Oakwood, Georgia and Townville, South Carolina. According to Vail, about 85% of the company's current business in the region serves builders of multi-family housing units, including major apartment complexes in Chattanooga and Knoxville.

Keith Barclift, the director of the Catoosa County Economic Development Authority which helped recruit Panel Truss to Ringgold, said the company will soon begin recruiting and training for about 30 Ringgold positions. After training, the new jobs will pay most employees $16 to $20 an hour with benefits.

Vail said hiring should begin by mid-October and initial fabrication work is expected to start by late October.

"We are thankful for the opportunity to help Panel Truss Texas grow its business in Catoosa County and create good jobs right here at home," Barclift said. "The company makes excellent products to support our construction industry and is a valuable partner in our economic development efforts."

The company expects to begin operations as soon as its civil engineering and wastewater plans are complete.

Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6340.

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