News Nearby: Watkinsville to get Industrial Finishing Specialists to Service Caterpillar

A North Carolina firm specializing in painting and paint removal has chosen to open a location in Watkinsville that will service the new Caterpillar plant.

The Oconee Enterprise reports Industrial Finishing Specialists, based out of Sanford, will move into the building at 1051 Business Boulevard.

A representative of the company told the newspaper it offers an innovative method using hot sand to strip paint called the "fluid clean process."

"It is environmentally friendly," Sanford office administrator Jeni Winter explained in the article. "It uses no chemicals.  It is a real alternative to chemical cleaning, so it is a process that is drawing a lot of interest."

She told the newspaper only a few employees will be needed to begin with but the company could employ as many as 20-50 over the next decade.

Watkinsville Mayor Charles Ivie, in an interview with the Athens Banner-Herald, said he'd like to see other companies follow suit.

“We have some buildings that would be suitable for a small operation," he said.

This story initially appeared on Oconee Patch. You might also be interested in reading the following stories on Oconee Patch.

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• 2012 Story of the Year: Caterpillar Comes to Oconee-Athens