The world's largest manufacturer of fiberglass and related products is coming to Wooster.

Owens Corning, a Fortune 500 company for more than 50 years headquartered in Toledo, has signed a five-year lease with Insite Real Estate to use 275,000 square feet of warehouse space at the Wooster Business Center, formerly the old Rubbermaid facility, on state Route 585, where it will house and distribute its Cultured Stone product.

"Right now they'll just be doing distribution," said Pete Bookman, who manages the facility for Insite. "They've established this warehouse in support of their North Carolina production facility where they produce this commercial product. Out of here, they'll be doing distribution for the entire Northeast. They came and looked at our facility and obviously feel as though this is a good place to distribute to the area. And we're very happy that they looked at Wooster to do that."

Owens Corning has started stocking the facility with its cultured stone product, which was rated the nation's most recognized, most used, highest quality brand of manufactured stone veneer, according to a BUILDER Magazine study in 2007.

Bookman said Insite has been doing preparatory work in anticipation of the move, including constructing three interior docks, one high dock and the removal of two mezzanine office areas.

Jason Saragian, in public relations with Owens Corning, said the company will hire 12 employees to start, but the potential for expansion exists.

He added the positions include benefits packages, but wouldn't specify on the types of benefits and wages other than to say wages would be "comparable with other professional service-type jobs in the region."

Because it is not receiving public money from the city or state, Owens Corning is not obligated to disclose job creation numbers, although, according to the Tri-County Wage Survey from 2005, skilled laborers such as certified tow motor operators earned wages ranging between $15.50 and $18 an hour.

"Typically in a warehousing organization, even in a facility this size, they don't use a lot of employees," Bookman said. "Even if they get to the point where this place is fully stocked, my guess is they'll keep the number of employees to a minimum because it doesn't take a huge staff to run a one-shift warehouse operation."

Saragian said the facility will service an area from the Mississippi River and extend all the way throughout the New England region.

"It became clear to Owens Corning that we needed a service warehouse in this area," Saragian said. "That is, somewhere in the Western Pennsylvania/East Ohio region. We already have some qualified individuals in the region and this will certainly make it easier to conduct business."

The facility will work primarily from two manufacturing sites one in Chester, S.C., and another in Napa, Calif.

Wooster Mayor Bob Breneman said having Owens Corning's presence in the community could bode well for the future.

"Owens Corning is a huge, well-respected company and to have them put a stick pin on their map over Wooster is exciting," said Breneman, who spent his summers in college working in manufacturing at Rubbermaid. "They'll be starting with distribution, but once that foot is in the door, it may turn into more. I'm very pleased that they're coming and hope that the manufacturing end of things will come down the way."

Breneman noted the distribution should cause a ripple effect in the community's economy, saying, "With the trucking in and out of the facility, those vehicles have to run on something, so they'll be buying gas or diesel somewhere. Plus, they'll probably get hungry while doing it and need a place to eat."

Perhaps most recognizable by its Pink Panther logo and trademark pink color, Owens Corning is one of the world leaders in glass fiber insulation manufacturing and innovation.

Employing more than 20,000 workers in 30 countries, the company reported sales of $6.5 billion in 2006.

In 2007, Fortune Magazine named the business its most admired company in the building materials and glass industry.

InformationWeek Magazine has annually ranked the company as one of its 100 most innovated companies in the field of business technology.

The company started its Cultured Stone division in 1962. The product is a stone veneer made of lightweight materials that are exact replicas of stone, albeit at a quarter of the weight.

Owens Corning's use of the old Rubbermaid site is the second factory re-use that Wooster has seen in the last two months.

In December, Speed North America, Europe and Canada's leading producer of weed trimmer lines, announced it would be starting production at the old Bosch Rexroth facility on Old Mansfield Road.

"What they're doing out there is a wonderful thing," Breneman said. "I think it also says a lot about the quality of the facilities we have standing out there. It makes things convenient for companies to move in and re-use the space because everything they need is already in place. Speed North America was pretty much able to come right in, set up and go and it's the same with the Rubbermaid building. The waterlines, electricity, all the support services needed are already in the building."

Saragian said Owens Corning expects to begin shipping on March 3.

Reporter Bryan Schaaf can be reached at 330-287-1645 or bschaaf@the-daily-record.com.