Sherman industry relocates to Alcoa building in Denison
By Gary Carter
Herald Democrat

DENISON — A Sherman industry will soon relocate into Denison’s former Alcoa plant and bring with it at least 100 new jobs.

Dan Knox, president of ACS Manufacturing of Sherman, announced Thursday afternoon that’s he’s expanding his company’s manufacturing operations, and they’ve bought the 257,000-square-foot factory, formerly the home of Alcoa, at Denison’s Industrial Park north of town.

ACS manufactures acoustical housings for the power generation industry, weather shelters, and metal fabrication for the oil field industry.

“We are extremely excited with the opportunity the city of Denison and the Denison Development Alliance provided to ACS Manufacturing,” Knox said. “This will enable our business to grow and expand with the city of Denison. The additional space and a consolidated facility will enable us to add up to 100 new jobs over the next few years.”

Knox said his company began in 1995 in Dallas, and in 2000 moved to Sherman, to the former Reedrill building on Texoma Parkway, as a chance to bring his growing industry to a smaller, slower industrial climate. ACS began with eight employees and swelled to more than 100 prior to 9/11, when Knox said the company scaled back to about 40 workers. Today, ACS is a leader in the acoustical noise reduction industry, and is seeing a growth in its industry and a need for more space.

“The selection of Denison involved evaluation of a wide range of locations in North Texas and Southern Oklahoma,” Knox said. “We worked with officials in Denison, Sherman and Durant to identify a facility that would meet our long-term needs. We were pleased that the Alcoa Building came on the market during our search. It looks like the perfect fit for our company.”

Denison Mayor Robert Brady said DDA and Sherman officials worked together to find an appropriate site for the ACS expansion. “We’re committed to keeping jobs in Grayson County for our citizens,” he said. “We believe this project will help replace the jobs lost when Alcoa relocated. We’re extremely excited about helping a local company. Dan is a Denisonian and a very successful businessman.”

Knox said the 80 employees working in the Sherman factory will move into the new facility, and at least 100 new employees will be hired at the new plant. Of those jobs, all will be full time, Knox said, with the metal fab workers making at least $12 an hour and some engineers making upwards of $100,000 a year in salary. In all, ACS would generate more than $2.5 million in payroll annually. And, more than $1.5 million in capital equipment will be housed in the Denison plant.

The economic development agreement ACS signed with DDA will allow for a $300,000 grant, and a $100,000 cash incentive, to be given to ACS. The grant comes in the form of quarterly cash payments of six percent of the increase in the base taxable payroll for four years, with the payments not to exceed a total of $300,000. The cash incentive comes after the company receives a certificate of occupancy from the city of Denison.

Among other items, DDA’s agreement with ACS states the company will provide health insurance coverage to all full-time employees; that if the company ceases manufacturing in Denison within two years, ACS would have to pay back the $100,000 plus interest; the company will contribute a minimum of $500 a year to a public non-profit located in Denison; and ACS will pay all property taxes.

“Denison and the Texoma area have a long tradition of attracting and keeping quality employers and I’m pleased that ACS has chosen to relocate to Denison and continue this tradition,” said Robert Sylvester, chairman of the DDA board. “Every business has multiple options and we knew ACS was looking to expand their operations into one large facility.

“Our mission was to work closely with them and find the most appropriate and cost-effective site for their expansion needs,” Sylvester said. “In this case, Denison had an available building that met their criteria and with the assistance of the DDA, we were able to partner with ACS to keep current and future jobs in Grayson County.”