FRANKLIN

After years of marketing Pretlow Industrial Park for private development, Franklin-Southampton Economic Development Inc. and the City of Franklin announced on Thursday that Providence Agriculture, a brand of Pinnacle Agriculture Holdings LLC, plans to purchase 10 acres of property for the construction of a manufacturing and distribution facility.

The sale will bring a $1.5 million investment into the Pretlow Industrial Park — $1 million in real estate improvements and $500,000 in machinery and tools, said Amanda Jarratt, president of FSEDI. Franklin City Council is scheduled to approve the purchase and sales agreement at their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Nov. 24.

“It will be nine jobs with room for growth because of the manufacturing component,” Jarratt said. “Last December we worked with them to lease space in an existing building in Southampton Park for an office warehouse opportunity. Since that time, we’ve been working to find a suitable site for a new location.”

They were able to, and Franklin Mayor Raystine Johnson Ashburn was excited.

“Today’s announcement is another step in the right direction to diversify our local economy and strengthen the economic base of the City of Franklin,” she said. “For years City Council has worked to market Pretlow Industrial Park for industrial growth and we are beyond excited to welcome Providence Agriculture. The City of Franklin is continuing to see the fruits of our labor by growing our local economy one business at time. We look forward to Providence Agriculture being a long-standing member of and asset to the Franklin-Southampton business community.”

This project, which will bring nine jobs to the area with plans to expand in the future, is the first private development in the park since Franklin purchased the land in the 1980s for industrial development. The building on the site was constructed by the city.

Providence Agriculture is already leasing a portion of an existing building in the Southampton Business Park for an office and warehouse operation. They will be expanding their current operation to include a manufacturing component and relocating the office and warehouse operation to the City of Franklin.

“We are pleased to be expanding our footprint in the Franklin-Southampton community,” Pinnacle Agriculture East Coast Area Manager Mark Montgomery said. “We look forward to continuing to provide outstanding service to our clients in this region of Virginia and North Carolina.”

Franklin Southampton Economic Development Inc. has been working with them to find a suitable location in the community for an expanded manufacturing and distribution facility to grow their business in the Franklin-Southampton area.

“Our Board and strategic partners are thrilled with today’s announcement,” E. Warren Beale Jr., chairman of Franklin-Southampton Economic Development said. “New construction in Pretlow Industrial Park sends the signal to the Commonwealth and the region that the City of Franklin is open for business. We appreciate our partnership with the Franklin City Council and Providence to bring this deal to fruition.”

Providence Agriculture is a full-service distributor of crop protection chemicals, seed, fertilizer, adjuvants, surfactants and micro nutrients. The parent company, Pinnacle Agriculture Holdings LLC, has been in operation in the agricultural retail business for more than 60 years. To learn more about Providence Agriculture visit their website at http://www.providenceag.com/.