Opelika, Alabama

plant in Montgomery, which is an hour away,” Huguley notes. Other companies in Opelika include Baxter International Inc., previously known as Gambro Renal Products, a manufacturer of dialyzers for kidney dialysis; Pharmavite, a global leader and manufacturer of Nature Made dietary supplements; and Golden State Foods Corp., one of the largest diversified suppliers to the quick- service restaurant and retail industries. “When Gambro came here in 2006, they made the largest capital investment in the history of Lee County - $165 million,” says Mayor Gary Fuller. “It’s a clean room environment and the highest paying manufacturing jobs in the metro. Then Baxter purchased them, and two years ago, they completed a $252 million expansion. They hired 200 more people at those high-paying jobs and now employ a total of just over 500. Pharmavite and Golden State Foods both had a presence in California, so for both of them, this was another location on the east coast, and they both chose Opelika. Pharmavite makes Nature Made-branded vitamins, minerals, and supplements; Golden State Foods produces hamburger patties, primarily for McDonalds, as well as beef for Nestlé manufacturing facilities. It’s a huge, huge operation.” Several of Opelika’s companies reside in the city’s Northeast Opelika Industrial Park, a 2,400- acre development, located along the western boundary of Interstate 85 - one hour from Montgomery, and less than one hour and fifteen minutes from Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport. “We have a very heavy utility structure in place there,” says Huguley. “We have the electric providers (Tallapoosa River Electric Cooperative and Alabama Power Company); the natural gas (Alagasco and Southeast Gas); and all the water you could ever need (Opelika Utilities). Some communities have issues with water capacity; that is not a problem for us. We also have a very strong communications infrastructure (Point Broadband, and AT&T). And we still have room