Malarkey Roofing plans to build a manufacturing facility on 135 acres near Paul Hand Boulevard and Graham Road in Franklin.
Map from Beacon
An asphalt roofing shingles company is moving forward with investing $200 million to construct a new facility, bring over 200 jobs and contribute to road improvements in Franklin.
The Franklin Redevelopment Commission approved an economic development agreement Tuesday with Herbert Malarkey Roofing Company. The company received a pair of 10-year tax abatements from the city council in May to build a 350,000-square-foot facility near Paul Hand Boulevard and Graham Road.
The economic agreement revolves around road improvements Malarkey Roofing and the city plan to complete. Malarkey Roofing has promised to extend Essex Drive and provide the city $2 million to help upgrade a segment of Paul Hand Boulevard, previously said Dana Monson, community development specialist for Franklin.
According to the agreement, Malarkey Roofing is to complete Essex Drive at its sole expense by December 31, 2027. The company will also pay the $2 million to the city no later than 10 business days after the bid opening for the Paul Hand project.
To support the project, the city agrees to design, develop and construct certain infrastructure improvements at its sole cost, including widening Paul Hand Boulevard and constructing a roundabout at the intersection of Paul Hand Boulevard and Graham Road, according to the agreement.
The roundabout is a partnership between the city, the county and the town of Whiteland and the cost is a three-way split between each government unit, Monson said via email.
Malarkey Roofing will dedicate no more than 80 feet of right-of-way along the southside of Paul Hand Boulevard to allow the city to work on the road’s expansion.
The RDC also agrees to be responsible for any cost over the $2 million for the upgrades for Paul Hand Boulevard.
The city council OK’d the 10-year real property and 10-year personal property tax abatements in May with a 2% real property and 5% personal property economic development fee. In return, Malarkey Roofing will add 215 jobs in Franklin with an average starting wage of $26.92, which is above the county average of $23.93.
“The mayor, Krista [Linke] and I have been working with Malarkey Roofing for almost a year it feels like, but we’re very excited to see this come to fruition, for this to be a positive experience for our community,” Monson previously said.
With the tax abatements, Monson previously said at the end of 10 years, the city will gain approximately $12 million in property tax revenue. If the land remained farm ground, it would be approximately $49,000.
Officials at Malarkey Roofing previously said the company expects to break ground later this year and start getting products out in mid-2026.
