By MARCUS BURTON
An Orem manufacturing company may be moving its operation to Springville if the state approves a $10 million low-interest loan.
Oldham Enterprises, a large printing firm in Orem, has outgrown its present location and is looking for a new building to expand its operations.
“We need additional space. We just don’t have enough room here in this building,” said Katherine Covalt, human resource manager of Digital Technologies International, a commercial printing branch of Oldham Enterprises. “There is no chance for us to expand in our current location.”
Oldham Enterprises has several branches that produce a number of publications ranging from the Utah County Journal to law books and other legal materials distributed nationwide.
The primary choice of location for the printing firm is in the Springville industrial area. Springville already has a vacant building, owned by Alcoa, large enough to suit Oldham Enterprise’s needs, said Springville Economic Development Director Dean S. Allan, who has been working with Oldham Enterprises to find a suitable location in Springville.
The Springville building has 130,000 square feet of space on 20 acres of land, which is much larger than the current Orem location.
Oldham Enterprises asked the Springville City Council to approve a loan of industrial revenue bonds to cover new costs associated with purchasing a building and moving their operations, Allan said.
The council unanimously approved their request, Tuesday, and Allen said Springville would benefit greatly.
The loan request will then go to the state to determine if it will be in the their best interest to approve, he said.
Although the move will most likely not affect many of the current 260 employees, an expansion may make more jobs available.
Brad Whitaker, executive director of the Commission for the Economic Development of Orem, said that he is doing everything in his power to try and find an Orem location so the company will not leave the city.
If Oldham Enterprises does end up leaving Orem, the vacancy left will most likely be filled quickly, Whitaker said.
“Because of the strong economy in the valley, it shouldn’t be long until someone replaces their vacated spot,” he said.
Orem’s possible loss will be Springville’s gain. The cities benefit from property tax revenue, utilities revenue and increased money in the city’s economy, Allan said.
The final decision for the relocation is still not set in stone.
“Oldham has not closed other doors, and they are still looking at other possible locations,” Whitaker said.
