Page 13 - Douglas Coffee NCG 2019

BUSINESS EXPANSIONS FEATURE

Reflect Robust Growth in Douglas Coffee County

Douglas-Coffee County is a great
place to do business, for employers and
employees. There is a myth that nothing
is made or grown in America anymore.
Coffee County is an example to the
contrary. Two of the county’s largest
employers have pursued impressive
expansion in 2018 – Elixir Extrusions in
metal fabrication and Premium Peanut in
farm product wholesale.
Elixir Industries was founded in 1946 Premium Peanut shelling factory
by Roland Sahm, the grandfather of
Elixir Extrusions CEO, Christopher Sahm. in this area, because even during the Elixir Anodizing. It’ll be state-of-the-art.
Production in Douglas started in 1986. recession of 2008, the facilities on Pope There’s really not one like it anywhere…
For over 40 years, this award-winning Drive in Douglas were profitable. Sahm it’s very exciting.” The brand-new,
manufacturers’ supplier has produced said Elixir chose to invest “where the safe 110,000 square-foot facility will be
custom-made components for an endless bet was. That’s Coffee County, Georgia.” equipped with cutting-edge technologies.
number of machine, equipment, and Elixir’s most recent development Elixir has experienced tremendous
vehicle manufacturers. was announced in August. This is their growth in Coffee County. In 2015, Elixir
Sahm is proud to do business in Coffee second large-scale expansion in less than Extrusions employed 170 people. Today,
County because, “the people who work 16 months. Donny Bradshaw, Elixir’s they have 280 employees, nearly a
here can afford to have a nice life here.” CFO, is enthusiastic about the project: 30 percent increase.
He’s confident about further investing “In 2018, we began construction on Just as Elixir reaches many types of
manufacturers through custom aluminum
extrusions and fabrication, Premium
Peanut is connecting 350+ farmers across
250 miles of South Georgia. By making
Douglas-Coffee County home to the newest
and largest single shelling facility in the
world, Premium Peanut is empowering local
business on a global scale.
The Premium Peanut shelling factory is
grower-owned and capable of processing
more than 300,000 tons of peanuts
annually. Premium Peanut’s 11 buying
points span from Meigs to Surrency, east of
the facility, and from Irwinville to Bartow to
the north.
Less than three years after the shelling
operation opened, Premium Peanut hosted
their second grand opening. In spring of
2018, through a $14 million investment,
a crude peanut oil facility was completed.
In addition to shipping shelled peanuts to
more than 25 countries around the world,
the Premium Peanut oil mill will pump
out an estimated three million gallons of
peanut oil a year.
Elixir and Premium Peanut’s recent
expansions are a testament to the people of
this area. Douglas-Coffee County is proving
that some things are still Made in America.

by Bonnie Hunter

Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce 912-384-1873 douglasga.org 11