A California-based maker of fire hydrants, gate valves and other equipment used by utilities plans a major facility in Douglas County, an economic development official said last week.
The company,American AVK, declined to comment on the report by Ron Weisinger, executive director of the Northern Nevada Development Authority.
Weisinger told members of the Carson City-based development authority that American AVK plans a 170,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Douglas County.He said another 70,000-square-foot expansion might be in the company's future.
He didn't provide employment figures, but said the annual economic impact of the American AVK facility would total about $17 million.
Weisinger described the decision by American AVK as another instance in which a California company decided it no longer could do business in the Golden State and moved to Nevada.
At a manufacturers' summit in Fresno this year,Alan Jurkonis, president of American AVK,wondered how California expects to retain businesses when surrounding states have lower workers' compensation costs.He was quoted as saying his company's workers compensation cost has increased 150 percent in two years.
American AVK is based at Fresno,where it has been based since 1985 and operates a 120,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.
It also operates warehouses at Dallas and North Charleston, S.C.
The company is a subsidiary of the AVK Group, a Danish company that is among the world's largest manufacturers of valves and pipeline supplies.
