Energy Company Eyes Gordon Co. Farm Property For New Plant

CALHOUN — An energy component company that recently gained a foothold in nearby Adairsville now has its sights set on a parcel in Gordon County.

Representatives of Sunmax Tech are seeking annexation and zoning of the 155-acre former Payne Farm property just south of the Tom B. David Airport runway to develop a manufacturing facility.

Annexation and zoning application documents filed with the City of Calhoun state that the Gordon County facility would involve a five- to eight-year, three-phase, investment strategy that should create 82 new jobs in the production of solar photovoltaic junction boxes and solar cables as part of phase one.

Documents state the 1.5 million-square-foot industrial facility would require rezoning from A-1 County Agricultural to I-G General Industrial.

The company states that later expansion phases two and three will focus the production of ethylene vinyl acetate film, cable line plastic material, aluminum solar frames, and copper wire while expanding production capabilities.

The same company recently opened a facility at 500 Soho Drive in Adairsville with a $39 million investment aimed at also creating around 80 jobs. With its Bartow facility, Sunmax Tech plans to invest $76 million over the next five to eight years.

A previous effort to annex and rezone the Payne Farm property was halted in late 2021 when the application hit a stumbling block due to Federal Aviation Administration runway requirements.

With the proximity to the airport, the FAA has some regulatory oversight in the area as the federal organization charged with managing airway safety.

FAA form 7460 — a notice of proposed construction or alteration — had been filed by the previous applicants, causing some delay in the process.

Applicant HREG Acquisitions LLC has sought annexation and rezoning of the same two parcels before the application was eventually tabled and ultimately withdrawn.

A new FAA notice has been submitted as part of the latest application, stating that work on the project would begin in June of 2025, with work ending in June of 2028.

A Calhoun City Zoning Board meeting concerning the application is set for Thursday, July 18, at 4:30 p.m., at the Depot, 109 S. King St., while a public hearing on the matter is set for the City Council meeting Monday July 22, at 7 p.m., also at the Depot.