Swedish firm Geveko Markings, which makes pavement markings used in road construction and for other applications, is putting a new factory and North American headquarters in Hall County.
The 80,000-square-foot facility on 20 acres in the Gainesville Business Park is to be a beachhead for further growth in the U.S. and beyond for the Kristianstad, Sweden-based company, which has operations in 70-plus countries.
The investment is to create 75 jobs, according to a Georgia Department of Economic Development news release, which did not disclose the amount of planned capital spending. A company news release put the jobs figure at 50-75 within the first year of operation, pointing to the potential for future job growth. Construction has begun, with the launch planned for this fall.
Geveko has been steadily building sales in the U.S. and needed local manufacturing and distribution to continue its growth, executives said in the release.
“The new facility will allow us to cater better to the market and, in addition, support our objective of delivering superior customer experience and becoming the preferred supplier of high-quality road and pavement marking materials,” said Geveko CEO Ulrik Haagen-Olsen in the release. “We selected Gainesville due to its proximity to Atlanta, accessibility to skilled workers and because operations can be easily scaled from the location.”
The company not only makes the technology and materials that stripe and line highways, but it also offers products with various textures and finishes. Those include tactile markings for the blind, a heated thermoplastic mix that fixes chips in asphalt and even colorful markings for children’s playgrounds.
Geveko focuses on blending environmental friendliness, safety and aesthetics. The company calls itself a leader in “horizontal decoration,” with its pavement markings used in settings from helipads in Germany to red speed-control lanes in Dubai to a massive tourist map in Finland.
One of the more creative applications include a crosswalk painted to look as it the bars of white are floating in the air. The increased visual interest enhances pedestrian safety, the company says.
Learn more about the company here.
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