Land given for company parking lot

Published 6:00 pm Monday, April 9, 2012

The city of Clanton gave Johnson Controls, formerly CRH, three acres of land Monday to be used for an employee parking lot.

The company has added about 300 jobs in the last six months, bringing its total workforce up to around 800, said company spokeswoman Judy Benson.

“We have run out of places for people to park,” Benson told the council.

Johnson Controls, which operates out of Milwaukee, bought CRH and its manufacturing facility on U.S. 31 in late 2010 and has added jobs steadily since. Before the recession the company averaged around 400-550 employees, Benson said.

The land given to the company was declared surplus during Monday’s council meeting.

Mayor Billy Joe Driver said the land, which borders the company’s facility, was originally going to be given to CRH when they located in Clanton 13 years ago, but was taken out at the company’s request.

“It’s [the land] not good for anyone else,” Driver said.

A helicopter landing pad, which has been used by rescue copters, will be relocated somewhere else on the property, according to Jimmy Simpler with Johnson Controls.