HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93009_1815 (2)IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
APRIL 7,1998
REGULAR MINUTES
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on April 7,1998,7:00 p.m.,
in the Commissioners' Meeting Room of the Iredell County Government Center, 200 South Center
Street, Statesville, NC 28677.
Present: Chairman Sara K. Haire
Vice Chairman Steve Johnson
David A. Boone
Alice T. Fortner
Alice M. Stewart
Staff: Joel Mashburn, County Manager
William P. Pope, County Attorney
Susan Blumenstein, Finance Director
Brent Weisner, Tax Assessor
Jean C. Moore, Clerk to the Board
CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Haire
INVOCATION: Commissioner Johnson
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ADJUSTMENTS OF AGENDA (none)
APPOINTMENTS BEFORE THE BOARD
MS. MELANIE O'CONNELL UNDERWOOD, MOORESVILLE-SOUTH IREDELL
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, IN REFERENCE TO THE CARDINAL FG COMPANY: Mrs.
Underwood advised that for the past several weeks the South Iredell Community Development
Corporation, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Town of Mooresville had been working with the
Cardinal Glass Company. She mentioned that specifically they had been discussing a flat glass company
for the Mooresville area. The industry needs rail and desires to locate in the Mooresville Business Park.
Underwood requested that the Board consider granting Cardinal economic incentives based on tax
investment for five years.
Jim Stevens, Plant Manager for the Mooresville Cardinal plant, said the facility started out as
an insulated glass company. After this, the company made coated glass. This type of glass provides
energy savings in the north and even more in the south. The company also makes tempered glass and
decorated glass (church windows). There are also two float glass plants in Wisconsin. Stevens said that
early on company officials noticed they were becoming "slaves to the glass companies." The owner
then built his own plant in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Another plant was built in Portage, Wisconsin. The
president of the company is the majority stockholder. The company makes about $400 million in sales
per year. The Mooresville plant will employ about 250 people. All of these except for about 30 will
be from this area. A competitive wage is paid and the company has a profit-sharing program.
Management style is participative and family oriented. About 40 rail cars per week will travel to the
facility bringing in the raw materials. The materiats are mixed, passed through a furnace where they
are melted at 2900 degrees, and the moltened product is then delivered to a tin bath chamber. The
glass at this time is very thin and floats on the tin, similar to oil on water. This is how the process
derived its float glass name. The glass is stretched and configured to the necessary thickness and width.
A cooling process then begins. A company in England developed the float glass technology. Cardinal
received a license from this company to reproduce the glass using the same method.
Commissioner Johnson asked about the necessary air permit. Stevens said an air permit is
required. A stack is on site. There is a certain level of emission. He predicted that Cardinal would emit,
with no pollution controls, about 1.8 percent of what a typical power plant emits. A facility was
proposed for Winchester, Virginia and the permits were approved; however, a citizen's group opposed
the project. Plans for the facility were then dropped. Stevens said the company had never been cited
by the federal or state government for any violations.
MOTION by Chairman Haire to hold a public hearing on May 5, 1998, 7:00 p.m., for the
purpose of considering industrial development incentives for the Cardinal FG Company.