ShareHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — Prestige Ameritech, the largest maker of surgical masks in the U.S., could soon move to a former Tecnol surgical-mask plant in North Richland Hills to gain much-needed expansion space, a company executive said.
The company, which has three facilities in Richland Hills and Fort Worth totaling 50,000 square feet, wants to consolidate those operations into the 220,000-square-foot industrial building at 7201 Iron Horse Blvd. by year’s end, said Mike Bowen, Prestige’s executive vice president.Prestige Ameritech has leased the property, which includes 17 acres, and will exercise an option to buy it, Bowen said."We anticipate being there long term," Bowen said. "During the next two to four years, we should be able to pretty well fill up the facility."Prestige Ameritech has been growing exponentially since the beginning of the year to keep up with demand from the spread of the H1N1 virus and to replenish a stockpile for normal needs and future pandemics. In the spring, the company increased its work force to 200 from about 80 to keep operations running 24/7. Bowen said he anticipates employment to reach 400 in the move.The company leases its facilities in Richland Hills and Fort Worth.The North Richland Hills City Council is scheduled to vote Monday on an incentive package for Prestige Ameritech that includes a 75 percent rebate of real and business personal property tax for 10 years and a 25 percent sales tax rebate for five years. The city will also waive fees for a year.Under the terms, Prestige Ameritech must move in by Jan. 31, stay for 10 years and have a work force of 400 by 2015."The bottom line is they wanted to feel welcomed by the city, and they are," said Craig Hulse, the city’s economic development director. Bowen and Dan Reese, Prestige’s president, were executives at Tecnol, the Kimberly Clark company that made surgical masks at plants in North Richland Hills. Those facilities were shuttered by 2006 when Kimberly Clark moved operations to Mexico and China, eliminating more than 1,000 jobs.Prestige Ameritech was founded in 2005. Mark Graybill with Lee & Associates represented Prestige. Trey Fricke, also with Lee & Associates, represented the owner. Lee & Associates listed the property for $8.3 million.A California-based real estate investment company bought the property in 2007. Earlier this year, AIC Ventures bought the 129,000-square-foot Fitz Manufacturing aircraft component plant on 9 acres at 6625 Iron Horse Blvd., also a former Tecnol facility. Fitz Manufacturing has a long-term lease with AIC Ventures.SANDRA BAKER, 817-390-7727
@Nyx.CommentBody@