Governor Laura Kelly announced that Kansas has received the 2024 Deal of the Year Impact Award from Business Facilities magazine in the Building Supply Manufacturing category. The award honors GAF, a Standard Industries company and North America’s largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, for its planned $300 million shingle plant in Newton.

GAF’s new facility will leverage over a century of expertise to establish a state-of-the-art shingle manufacturing plant. The project will create more than 130 manufacturing jobs in management, engineering, and operations, emphasizing continuous process manufacturing.

Announced in 2024, the plant is expected to begin production in 2027 and reach full capacity by mid-2029. Hiring for key leadership roles is underway, with additional positions opening in spring 2025.

“Creating a culture that encourages growth is a big deal. That includes building meaningful relationships with regional partners and state officials that understand how important culture is in the selection process for economic development prospects,” former Newton Mayor and Harvey County EDC Board President Rod Kreie said. “While there were other communities with suitable sites, GAF mentioned several times how Newton’s culture played an important role in their decision. After working together with the GAF team for just north of two years, it’s amazing how the GAF culture blends so well with the culture of our community.”