By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
The Jefferson County Commission on Thursday agreed to abate non-educational sales taxes for a Wisconsin-based industrial laundry business to locate in Jefferson Metropolitan Park McCalla (JeffMet McCalla).
ITU AbsorbTech, the largest Wisconsin-based supplier of environmentally friendly industrial absorbents, towels, mats, garments, will make a $24.5 million capital investment in JeffMet McCalla and create nearly 40 jobs paying an average of nearly $30 an hour, according to county officials.
The construction of a new 50,000-square facility could begin by early 2026 and would be the first location for the company in the state of Alabama. County officials say they won the project over three other states.
“We’re excited to welcome ITU AbsorbTech’s $24.5 million investment to Jefferson County,” said Commissioner Mike Bolin, the Commission liaison to Economic Development. “This project brings high-quality jobs averaging nearly $30 an hour and showcases the strength of our industrial assets like the JeffMet property.”
As for infrastructure, workforce readiness, and strategic site capacity, Bolin said the county is ready for future projects and the one approved Thursday “is precisely the type of investment we sought when we laid the groundwork for JeffMet and partnered with JCEIDA (Jefferson County Economic and Industrial Development Authority.”
JCEIDA was formed in 1995 by the Jefferson County Commission with a mission to provide an inventory of commercial sites for new and expanding businesses.
“[ITU AbsorbTech] is a new tenant to the state of Alabama so it’s a win for the state, the county and the local park,” said Othell Phillips, executive director of JCEIDA.
Supporting the project with 10-year sales and use tax abatement “is a smart investment in our workforce, our economy, and our future growth,” Bolin said.
He continued, “bringing this facility to the JeffMet property means we are leveraging one of our key industrial assets — strategically located and built to attract companies who are ready to hit the ground running. This kind of project not only creates direct employment, but generates meaningful ripple effects.”
Jeff Traywick, the Jefferson County Commission’s Economic Development Advisor, said the goal is “to assist companies that are going to move the needle when it comes to the local economy tax creation but most importantly job and wages.”
The average wage in Jefferson County runs about $27 an hour and ITU AbsorbTech pays nearly $30 and even that “moves that needle a little bit, and every time we do that it shifts things a little bit more,” he explained, “ … so as we recruit more of these companies those overall wages tend to pick up and we’ve seen good results with that.”
The estimated economic return over the life of the project would generate $522,000 to the county’s general fund and $1.4 million to education, Traywick said.
The agreement brings a number of benefits for the county, Bolin said. “We’re making a commitment to our residents: better jobs, stronger tax base over time, and a reaffirmation that Jefferson County remains open for business and is ready to compete for high‑value, job‑creating projects.”
