New Rail Park Brings in Two Businesses and Adds New Jobs

Sep. 27, 2018

September 27, 2018 - A new 70-acre commercial business park is being developed in Dalton, GA on Old Dixie Highway.  Local developer, Poteet Properties, LLC is constructing the first privately funded industrial park in Whitfield County in approximately 20 years. The site is adjacent to rail and will have rail service to two sites.  Healthier Choice Flooring will be the anchor tenant in the park and has announced plans to construct a new 200,000 sq. ft. facility.  The company will invest approximately $12 million and hire 25 employees for the new facility. Craig Poteet, President of Healthier Choice Flooring, is leading the development of the park. “As the economy continues to expand, demand for suitable building sites throughout Georgia and specifically in Whitfield County has increased.  As we contemplated our own need to grow our business we looked for property for several years.  Lack of viable sites at market level prices in Dalton made the search difficult. In the end, we decided that creating an opportunity for ourselves and others made sense.  For more than 25 years, Healthier Choice Flooring has been a leading U.S. manufacturer of premium carpet cushion and acoustical underlayment for the flooring industry. We are happy to continue that tradition in the Dalton area with this project,” says Craig Poteet. 

As the second tenant in the park, Reagent Chemical and Research, Inc., maker of White Flyer clay shooting targets is pleased to announce plans for their new Dalton, GA facility. This will be their 5th state of the art target manufacturing facility in the United States. “The Dalton, GA facility will only strengthen our ability to provide gun clubs across North America and the world with the best targets possible,” said Brian Skeuse, principle of Reagent Chemical and White Flyer Targets. 

“The decision by Healthier Choice Flooring and Reagent Chemical and Research, Inc. to locate in Dalton-Whitfield County speaks volumes to the quality of the workforce and our overall business-friendly environment in this region,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Our economic development partners in this community have worked diligently to bring these two projects to fruition, and we are excited about future opportunities.”

At this time, more than half of the property is sold and construction is planned to commence immediately. “Some additional land is available, and we look forward to helping grow the local economy and seeing more good things happen in this industrial park”, says developer Craig Poteet.

Poteet Properties and White Flyer worked with the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority, Stephanie Scearce with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, CSX Railroad, and the Whitfield County staff to bring this idea to fruition.  “We are very pleased to see this new rail-served park come to life.  Growth to an existing industry and adding a new, diverse industry to our business family shows that Whitfield County continues to be a great place for business. We are very pleased to have Healthier Choice Flooring and White Flyer grow their business in our community”, said Lynn Laughter, Whitfield County Commission Chairman.