Paper company looks to expand in Utah County

(Deseret News) A privately held paper products company from New York may be close to announcing plans to come to Utah County, bringing up to 250 jobs in its initial build-out.

The Daily Herald has learned that First Quality Enterprises Inc., a diversified group of companies that make adult incontinence diapers, children's diapers, feminine hygiene products, baby wipes, adult washcloths, tissues and paper towels, has been in negotiations for the past year with multiple government and private organizations to locate a production plant in the southern Utah County.

Known publicly only as Project Cannonball, the effort to get First Quality into Utah is expected to include the creation of a Community Development Authority, which is a post-performance tax incentive that is contingent on the amount of jobs created, the company's investment and its profitability.

A spokesman with First Quality declined to comment on its plans for Utah, and government officials including county commissioners and employees of the Governor's Office of Economic Development have been tight-lipped because they have signed non-disclosure agreements.

Utah County Commissioner Larry Ellertson, one of several key figures involved in negotiations with the company and who declined to confirm the identity of the company, said it may invest as much as $250 million in its initial build-out, and up to a total of $1 billion when the plant is completed over an eight- to 10-year period.

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