Mesa’s Elliot Road Technology Corridor Snags Water-Bottling Facility

Niagara Bottling will add 450,000-square-foot facility in Mesa

Posted June 2, 2017 by AZ Business Magazine

Niagara Bottling, LLC, the largest, private-label bottled water supplier in the U.S., announced today it will establish a $76 Million 450,000-square-foot, highly automated manufacturing and bottling operation in the City of Mesa’s Elliot Road Technology Corridor.*
Where will the water come from?

Blogger's Note: *NOT INCLUDED in the announcement  is the dollar amount of tax incentives from local tax entities or for how many years or the source of water. 
In January 2017 Niagara made a capital investment of $96 Million in The State of Utah. The Niagara Bottling project will create up to 76 new jobs at their location in Brigham City, retaining 35 jobs from their existing facility. Niagara received a 15-year tax incentive from local tax entities . [See the link: http://www.utahbusiness.com below]


Brian Hess

At least two other cities in other states have rejected applications by Niagara citing these concerns to  put a real value on the water that is being sold to a private company and prevent local  EDSCs from giving private companies discounts on water that has been improved through processes paid for by taxpayers. Groups have also downplayed the 38 jobs that would initially be created as "low wage" employment that "does nothing to provide area residents with meaningful work" and says the $4.1 million tax abatement will be a burden on taxpayers who will have to make up the difference. Cited in the report: The agreement calls for a 100 percent abatement on taxes on the facility for the first three years, 85 percent the next two years and 50 percent for the final two years.
According to an article in the Rivard Report on October 7, 2016 

City Says No Thanks to Niagara Water Bottling Deal  
Ten days ago, a rezoning application by California-based Niagara Bottling to build a water bottling plant at Brooks City Base was fast-tracked for City Council approval by the Zoning Commission, but the deal is now dead.
The first phase of the Niagara Bottling plant would have brought 75-100 jobs in 2016, and 200 jobs by 2019, but most would have been low wage, hourly positions. Niagara would have required 2,500 acre-feet of water annually for its bottling and manufacturing operations, or about 830 million gallons of water. Other sources said the plant could have used just under 1% of SAWS’ annual pumping volume. . . The request by Niagara to establish a bottling facility in South Texas, where cyclical droughts, growing urban populations and high agricultural pumping all stress the current water supply, was strongly opposed by area environmental organizations
Niagara Bottling has launched a multi-regional expansion across the country in a continuing endeavor to produce high quality bottled water at affordable prices, all while leading the industry in environmental sustainability. As the largest private label water supplier in the U.S., Niagara carries more than 50 years of experience in advanced bottling technology. The family-owned and operated company has 19 facilities nationwide. Each remains operational 365 days a year, 24 hours a day for continuous production and shipping.     

“The investment that Niagara Bottling is making in Mesa is a very significant one and I could not be happier that they have chosen to make it in District 6,” District 6 Councilmember Kevin Thompson said. “The Elliot Road Technology Corridor is such an important area for our region and they will be a tremendous addition.”

Niagara Bottling will invest $76 million in the facility and will create 45 to 55 new jobs with a total payroll of more than $2.5 million annually. The company expects to begin construction in June this year and commence production in the first quarter of 2018.

“Niagara Bottling, LLC is a responsible family-owned company that is committed to supporting our local community, our team members and our environment. We are very proud to announce Mesa, Arizona as the home of our newest beverage manufacturing facility and look forward to maintaining leadership in the areas of innovation, supply chain efficiencies, and overall environmental stewardship,” Brian Hess, Executive Vice President at Niagara, said.

“We are very proud of our efforts to provide healthy beverages to our customers,  first responders, and charitable partners.” Hess further commented, “We are very appreciative for the City of Mesa’s support and warm welcome and look forward to being an integral and productive member of the local community.”

Niagara Bottling supplies major retailers across the nation, like Costco and Target. 

Headquartered in Ontario, California, the company began as a family business in 1963 by offering five-gallon containers for home and office delivery.

Niagara expanded in the early 1990s to offer single-serve private label bottled water for grocery, club, convenience, and wholesale customers and has established itself as a national leader in high-quality, affordable bottled water.

 

“Niagara is the latest in a string of manufacturing firms selecting Arizona, joining a thriving industry that provided more than $24 billion to our state’s economy in 2016,” Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority, said. “We applaud Niagara’s commitment to 100 percent of its bottles and caps being recyclable and we thank them for their commitment to and investment in Arizona.”

“The new Niagara Bottling manufacturing facility in Mesa will add quality jobs and tens of millions of dollars in capital investment in our communities,” Chris Camacho, President and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, said. “We join our partners in welcoming Niagara to Mesa, Arizona, and look forward to their future success.”

The City of Mesa, Arizona Commerce Authority, and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council worked in partnership to bring Niagara Bottling’s manufacturing facility to Mesa’s Elliot Road Technology Corridor.

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Here's an announcement about Niagara's expansion in Utah five months ago

Niagara Bottling to Expand Operations in Box Elder County

Press Release Jan 12, 2017            

Salt Lake City—Niagara Bottling and the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) today announced that the family-owned beverage bottling company will expand to Box Elder County, retaining 35 jobs and adding up to 76 jobs and $95 million in capital investment to the community.

“EDCUtah is thrilled to have a family-operated business like Niagara Bottling expand in Utah,” said Michael Flynn, Interim Chief of Staff at EDCUtah. “The manufacturing industry thrives in Utah and a technologically advanced and successful company like Niagara Bottling will bring great opportunities to the community in Box Elder County.”
Niagara Bottling was founded in 1963, in Irvine, California. The company is innovative with high speed manufacturing and state-of-the-art bottle design. Niagara Bottling produces high quality affordable bottled water and is the industry leading private label bottled water supplier in the Western United States. Niagara is currently the largest family-owned and operated water bottle company in the United States.
> The Niagara Bottling project will create up to 76 new jobs at their location in Brigham City, retaining 35 jobs from their existing facility. Water bottling facilities, like Niagara Bottling, are highly automated but bring a significant capital investment to the state. Niagara bottles both under their own label and private label bottling for companies like Costco, Wal-Mart and Target.
“Niagara has a great goal of sustainability and strives to empower their employees to greater achievements,” said Flynn. “They are exactly the type of company that we want to do business in Utah. We congratulate them on their expansion and wish them long-term success at their new facility.”
Niagara received a 15-year tax incentive from local tax entities
Niagara Bottling, working closely with the local community, has decided its expansion will be located in Brigham City. The company will be building a new facility on a 35-acre lot for their manufacturing plant.
“It’s great to see a quality company like Niagara choose Brigham City as its newest expansion location,” said Tyler Vincent, Mayor of Brigham City, ” We appreciate the close working relationship that we’ve developed with Niagara, and we believe that they will find that Brigham City is an excellent place to do business. We are thrilled with the way Niagara treats its people and the communities in which they do business, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”