James Hardie expands plant

James Hardie Building Products is starting to ramp up production of a major new product line at its plant at Tahoe Reno Industrial Center.

The company, which manufactures fiber-cement siding for the building industry, will add factory-painted siding products at the plant east of Sparks.

Harv Shelton, the plant manager, said the company will be commissioning the new production line during the next six weeks.

While the company added the new production capability within the footprint of its existing 370,00-square-foot plant, Shelton said an additional 200,000 square feet of distribution space will be built.

Employment, which currently stands at about 130, is projected to grow to 170 to 180 by the end of the year, Shelton said.

He said recruitment of those new employees will be aided by the company's decision to boost its starting wage to $14.25 an hour from the previous $12.50. That increase is company-wide for James Hardie's operations in the United States.

Shelton said the Reno plant won the additional manufacturing work because of its proximity to markets in Oregon and North California that are expected to generate strong demand for the factory-painted siding.