James Hardie plans 100 new jobs in Plant City

PLANT CITY — James Hardie, a global manufacturer of fiber-cement siding and interior products, announced plans to expand its existing presence in Plant City. The project is projected to create more than 100 new jobs and nearly $80 million in capital investment in the area by 2015.

James Hardie was the first company to introduce fiber-cement siding products to the United States as an alternative to wood, strand board and vinyl siding. The 125-year-old company opened its location in Plant City in 1994, and currently employs about 100 people at its South Woodrow Wilson Street facility.

As part of the expansion, the manufacturer will retrofit an existing pipe plant for sheet production, adding 100,000 square feet of space, as well as new machinery and equipment. The growth will double the site's production capacity, which the company says was needed to meet growing demand for its fiber-cement siding products.