DALTON, Ga. — A new 70-acre commercial business park, the first privately-funded commercial park in Whitfield County in some 20 years, is being developed in Dalton, according to a press release from the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority (JDA).

More than half of the property, about one mile south of the South Bypass, has already been sold, and construction is planned to begin immediately, according to the press release.

“Some additional land is available, and we look forward to helping grow the local economy and seeing more good things happen in this industrial park,” said developer Craig Poteet in a statement.

Poteet is president of Dalton-based Healthier Choice Flooring, which will be the anchor tenant in the park.

The press release said the company plans to construct a new 200,000-square-foot facility, investing approximately $12 million and hiring 25 employees for the new facility.

“As the economy continues to expand, demand for suitable building sites throughout Georgia and specifically in Whitfield County has increased,” said Poteet. “As we contemplated our own need to grow our business we looked for property for several years. Lack of viable sites at market-level prices in Dalton made the search difficult. In the end, we decided that creating an opportunity for ourselves and others made sense. For more than 25 years, Healthier Choice Flooring has been a leading U.S. manufacturer of premium carpet cushion and acoustical underlayment for the flooring industry. We are happy to continue that tradition in the Dalton area with this project.”

Reagent Chemical and Research Inc., maker of White Flyer clay shooting targets, will be the second tenant of the park, with plans to build a new manufacturing plant at the site..

“The Dalton facility will only strengthen our ability to provide gun clubs across North America and the world with the best targets possible,” said Brian Skeuse, principle of Reagent Chemical and White Flyer Targets.

Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said the two companies’ decisions to build in Dalton “speaks volumes to the quality of the workforce and our overall business-friendly environment in this region.”

Poteet Properties and White Flyer worked with the JDA, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, CSX Railroad and the Whitfield County staff to create the park.

“We are very pleased to see this new rail-served park come to life,” said Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Chairman Lynn Laughter. “Growth to an existing industry and adding a new, diverse industry to our business family shows that Whitfield County continues to be a great place for business. We are very pleased to have Healthier Choice Flooring and White Flyer grow their business in our community.”