A glass manufacturer is considering Nassau County for a new plant that could bring 1,000 jobs to the area.
Sherri Mitchell, executive director of the Nassau County Economic Development Board, said Aug. 14 that the manufacturer is working through a third-party site selection evaluator to keep its identity, base of operations and geographic reach confidential from both the county and the public.
Mitchell said a second site visit is scheduled for this week. The project is an expansion, not a relocation, and would use 200 acres for operations. Salaries would start at about $65,000.
Nassau County is one of two sites under consideration, but Mitchell said that the other location has not been disclosed to the board.
The proposed site is at Crawford Diamond Industrial Park in Callahan, about 18 miles west of Jacksonville International Airport. The park includes 400 developable acres adjacent to a 1,400-acre Florida Power & Light Co. solar power facility. Juno Beach-based FPL owns all 1,800 acres.
The Crawford Diamond site “is shovel-ready with 100-megawatt support for peak electric demand,” according to marketing materials. It is described as “ideally suited for advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense projects or industries that need constant and reliable power infrastructure.”
The economic board’s website says the site has no height, noise or building restrictions and projects there are eligible for rural county incentives. Mitchell said an on-site water plant under construction with a 3 million-gallon-per-day capacity has become a major driver of interest.
Announced in 2024, the water plant is funded through $11.4 million in grants from the Florida Department of Commerce and a $4.5 million investment from the Board of County Commissioners, according to a county news release.
The water plant is expandable to up to 6 million gallons per day, according to county documents.
“With that water plant being implemented, I can’t tell you how much activity we’re getting and seeing on that site,” Mitchell said.
“The new onsite water plant and wastewater treatment facilities are great assets for the site and address two of the most critical infrastructure needs for large industrial operations,” FPL said in an email. “Having those new facilities reduces operational challenges and costs for potential tenants.”
Those prospects, the email said, include those based nationally and globally, adding all 400 acres at Crawford Diamond are available.
“(Crawford Diamond) is zoned heavy industrial, so it’s ideally suited for manufacturing companies and large electricity users. That fits well with the utility infrastructure on the site, as well as access to a big customer base via connections to JAXPORT, rail and interstates,” the email said.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global glass market is poised for expansion.
“Glass is a fully recyclable material that can be reused and reprocessed continuously in a closed loop, making it a prime candidate for participation in the circular economy, says the International Finance Corp.
“The market will experience substantial growth as more companies adopt energy-efficient and smart glass solutions during both automotive production and modern architectural construction,” the report said.
Glass manufacturers ASG, Fuyao Glass Industry Group, Guardian Industries, Nippon Sheet Glass, Press Glass and Saint-Gobain are all seeking expansions, according to multiple news reports.