PPG's impact: $9.8 million

The manufacturing plant that PPG Industries is building at Tahoe Reno Industrial Center will have a first-year economic impact on the region of approximately $9.8 million.

PPG will employ 35 people when the 95,000-square-foot plant begins two-shift operations in late 2007. The company broke ground on the facility last week.

In an application for state incentives prepared with the assistance of the Northern Nevada Development Authority, PPG said the average wage at the plant will be $17.83 an hour.

The plant will manufacture more than 15 million gallons of paint "architectural coatings" in the parlance of the industry each year. They'll be sold under the Olympic, Lucite, Pittsburgh and other PPG labels.

PPG said products manufactured at the plant east of Sparks will be marketed through Lowe's stores as well as stores owned by PPG and independent retailers. The plant will serve 12 western states.

The company chose the northern Nevada location because of its proximity to western markets, the business climate in Nevada and the availability of an educated workforce, said Ron Bishop, director of manufacturing and information technology for PPG architectural coatings.

Nearly all the workforce will be hired locally. Terry McGinnis, who previously oversaw a PPG paint plant at Dover, Del., will be the manager of the new plant and will supervise construction.

The new plant is on a 22-acre site near USA Parkway in the vicinity of the new Wal-Mart grocery distribution center. The plant will be one of 11 paint manufacturing facilities operated in the United States by PPG.