Sandler AG, a German-based textile supplier to international manufacturers plans to make its first foray into the North American market for which they have chosen Perry. They plan to build a manufacturing plant in Houston County. This was announced on Thursday by the Houston County and Georgia officials.

Sandler AG, a privately held, family-owned company will bring $ 30 million and more than 140 jobs to the County’s economy, according to a release from Gov. Nathan Deal’s office.

Tommy Stalnaker, the chairman of the Houston County Commission, said that they are excited that Sandler AG chose to locate in Houston County and look forward to the forthcoming groundbreaking. The company will locate off Perry Parkway, at the corner of Airport Road. The exact timeline for construction to begin is unknow but it is likely by the start of 2016.

Sandler AG will occupy the development authority’s speculative building at 700 Perry Parkway and will use 100 acres, including the land where the spec building is situated. The building has been used as a marketing tool since it was built in 2001 with county funds. It was intended to attract industry, but has sat vacant since it was built.

The company is planning to use the entire 100,000-square-foot building, and it plans to build additional structures. The facility will function as a production plant, warehouse and base for national sales and distribution. Employee recruitment and filling jobs for the plant will begin in early 2016.

Sandler AG chose Houston County after numerous visits to the area, in the past six months mainly because of its "strong education system and workforce." The executive director for the Houston County Development Authority, Angie Gheesling, is currently in Germany with Governor Deal, to finalize the deal.

Gheesling wrote that Sandler has been in business for more than 130 years, and that this will be the first North American location. With annual sales of about $346 million worldwide, Sandler supplies nonwoven textiles such as baby wipes and facial wipes to large companies such as Procter & Gamble.

Establishing a presence in Houston County will allow us to answer to the increasing importance of the North American markets and to account for growing demand for outside Europe, said Christian Heinrich Sandler, the CEO of Sandler.

Chris Carr, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, said that Houston County’s central location between the port of Savannah and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was one of the deciding factors in choosing the midstate for the new plant.

Mark Byrd, chairman of the Houston County Development Authority, said that they are proud to have a company of this caliber locate in their Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development certified industrial park. This project is an example of their community and a company coming together with the ultimate goal of bringing quality jobs to their citizens