Collier County approves $1.5 million in incentives to attract glass manufacturer to Ave Maria

Ave Maria could soon be home to another large manufacturer.

On Tuesday, Collier County commissioners approved an economic development agreement for an advanced manufacturing and processing plant for Dialum Glass in the burgeoning town east of Naples.

The location would serve as the international company's U.S. headquarters.

Following a swift, unanimous vote in favor of awarding incentives, county commission chairman Rick LoCastro wasted no time in rolling out the red carpet. "Welcome to Florida," he exclaimed.

While Dialum is based in Santiago, Chile, much of its business and many of its customers are in the United States. It primarily serves the construction industry, with the ability to make almost any type of glass on the market today.

"We are excited to lock them down," said Nick Casalanguida, a senior vice president at Barron Collier Cos., in a text after the county commission's favorable vote.

Barron Collier Cos. is the force behind the town, in partnership with Tom Monaghan, the creator of Domino's Pizza and founder of Ave Maria University.

From our archives: Innovation Zone OK'd by Collier Commission to spur economic development in East Naples

More: Town of Ave Maria to grow by nearly 1,000 acres. Here's why

Headquarters would be built in Innovation Zone

Dialum would join North Naples-based medical device manufacturer Arthrex, which has also received incentives for its expansion and growth in Ave Maria.

The new plant for Dialum would be built within Ave Maria's Innovation Zone. The company has been awarded $1.5 million in county incentives, which would come from property taxes generated in the zone.

The county created Innovation Zones in 2010 to promote economic development and diversify the local economy by encouraging the construction of corporate headquarters and manufacturing plants. There are three such zones.

In the zone, the county sets a base year and any tax increases collected in the area after that time are captured and deposited in a trust fund developers and businesses can tap for qualifying projects. Up to $1 million can be put into the fund in any year.

The Ave Maria Innovation Zone generates annual revenue of about $185,900 and currently has a balance of $900,000.

Dialum would not receive any incentives until the plant is built, and ready for move in.

The company has been evaluating two locations in Florida, but Ave Maria appears to be its first choice.

State-of-the-art headquarters proposed, with room for growth

Dialum has proposed a 90,000-square-foot state-of-the-art building on a 10-acre site that offers room for expansion – up to about 200,000 square feet in total.

The project could create 80 to 100 local jobs.

County Manager Amy Patterson told county commissioners that creating jobs in Ave Maria is of "primary importance," given its continued residential growth, because it has the potential to reduce traffic to the coast for work from the town – and from surrounding areas, such as Immokalee.

Honing in on that point, Casalanguida said Ave Maria is welcoming more than 600 new families a year. With that growth, he said, has come more interest in the town's industrial space, which is also tough to find in the urban area.

Dialum's interest in Ave Maria is expected to bring even more attention to it, creating more economic and job opportunities "down the road," Casalanguida said.

Manufacturer known for its technology, innovation

Before the vote, Fernando Diez Vidal, a director for Dialum, showed a video about the company, sharing its background and highlighting its evolution, growth and investments in technology, equipment and innovation since its establishment in 1987. Its products include bulletproof and fireproof glass, privacy glass and specialty glass, offering unique designs.

In the video, Dialum emphasized its "harmonious" relationship with employees, and its hard-earned reputation for great service.

When LoCastro asked for a few more details about the company's interest in Ave Maria, Diez Vidal said nearly 80% of the products Dialum is building today are for U.S. customers. He added that it has been doing business in this country for more than 15 years, and the new headquarters would put it closer to some of its best customers.

Dialum would invest $20 million to $25 million in the new building, including equipment. It would purchase the site from Barron Collier Cos.

Under the incentive agreement, the company would receive $500,000 after the certificate of occupancy is issued, and the remaining balance would be doled out equally over the following four years.

According to an executive summary that outlines the terms, the payments are "subject to Dialum being in good standing, with the facility open, and property taxes current."

In an email after the vote, Diez Vidal said: "Ave María is our favorite place to settle and this incentive delivery by Collier County is one more reason to stay here."

He added: "This place is perfect for our development because it is logistically between the reception of our raw materials and our customers, it is located steps away from important highways, it is close to towns with a workforce willing to work, there is a real interest in developing the innovation zone and Ave Maria is the fastest growing area in Southwest Florida, among many other reasons."

Innovation Zones working in Collier County

Commissioner Bill McDaniel moved to approve the incentives. LoCastro seconded the motion.

While he's excited about the opportunity and the fact that the innovation zones appear to be working, attracting "really good" companies that are paying high-wage jobs, McDaniel said more transparency is needed from county staff on the investments made and the employment created so far.

In a one-word answer, Patterson said she "understood."

LoCastro commented that Dialum picked a "great location," and would be another "fantastic add" to Ave Maria, and the county.

He described the proposal as a good example of managed growth – and as the right type of growth and investment for the community "for sure."

Collier County's Growth Management Plan specifically states it will "support programs which are designed to promote and encourage the recruitment of new industry as well as the expansion and retention of existing industries in order to diversify the county’s economic base.”

The new headquarters could be completed by 2025, Casalanguida said in a text after the vote.

It would take about 14 months to build and it could open in early to mid-2025, he said.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Collier County approves incentives to bring Dialum Glass to Ave Maria