German flooring company breaks ground in Delaware

A 53,000 square foot facility in Dover will soon be home to German-based flooring company Uzin Utz AG.

Company officials broke ground on its first U.S.-based dry mortar plant Tuesday, alongside Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, Lt. Gov. Matt Denn and Alan Levin, director of the Delaware Economic Development Office.

Gov. Markell, D-Del, thanked CEO Dr. Werner Utz and Phillipp Utz, president of subsidiary Uzin Utz Manufacturing North America Inc., for choosing Delaware. 

“Since coming into office five years ago, my goal has been to have Delaware compete and win on the global playing field. Today, we’re celebrating yet another win,” Gov. Markell, D-Del., said.

The family-run company specializes in professional installation systems for all types of floor coverings, leveling compounds, damp-proofing systems, adhesives for textile, resilient coverings and wood flooring. Once complete, the Dover plant will also house a research and development center and an application area for testing and customer training.

“It has taken only seven months to get to the groundbreaking, which shows that Dover is a great place to set up new businesses,” Philipp Utz said. “Dover is strategically located to our core customer markets, and Garrison Oak Technical Park provides an ideal location.”

Uzin Utz was awarded a Delaware Strategic Fund Performance Grant and a Capital Expenditure Grant, and plans to create 23 jobs at its new facility in Dover.

“Manufacturing in Delaware is growing by changing. Companies and organizations in that sector are redefining what it means to be a traditional manufacturer and training employees to use the most current technology and practices,” Levin said. “Uzin Utz selected Delaware in large part because it recognized our commitment to fostering this growth and change.”

Uzin Utz aims to move into the Dover plant by April 2015.