It’s one of the biggest employers in Bowling Green, and it’s pumping more money into the city.

Sun Products Corp. plans to construct a $41 million warehouse and distribution center in Bowling Green.

The company currently operates nine facilities in and around Bowling Green, and those facilities will consolidate into the new, 1.4 million-square-foot center.

The new building will sit in the South Central Kentucky Industrial Park and will take a little less than a year to construct, said Kathryn Corbally, director of corporate affairs for Sun Products.

Sun Products, which produces laundry detergent brands such as Wisk and Snuggle, employs about 1,000 people in the area. While the new facility will not immediately create new jobs, the investment is a shot in the arm for the local community, officials said Tuesday during a groundbreaking ceremony.

“It’s always wonderful when we get to come over here and cut a ribbon for a new company,” Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon said. “When someone actually determines they’re going to make a reinvestment … that’s an even better reflection on you and your community.”

Sun Products, formerly Huish Detergents, opened in Bowling Green in 1993. Huish and Unilever’s North American fabric care business merged in 2008 to form Sun Products. Since it came to Bowling Green 17 years ago, the company has opened nine facilities and has been looking to streamline some of its production.

The new facility will be funded by Sun Products, which is pumping nearly $11 million into the project, and a third-party developer. The project also garnered $630,000 in tax benefits from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority.

Sun Products officials were drawn to Bowling Green to open its “dream facility,” said Blair Hawley, senior vice president of logistics and distribution for Sun Products.

They decided to construct that building here due to a strong community and a good work force, said Ron Anglin, plant director.

“We’ve had tremendous success with the work force here,” he said.

Debra Kirkley, of Logan County, has worked for Sun Products since 1995, when it was Huish Detergents Inc.

“I feel wonderful. I don’t think you could work for a better company,” she said. “I’ve seen it grow from where we did everything by hand and now it’s fully automated. And it continues to get better.”

The new facility joins a growing list of recent economic development announcements for the region. Gov. Steve Beshear, who attended the event, was also in Butler County on Tuesday to announce another company expansion and a company location.

Over the past few months, Beshear has visited the area several times for similar events, such as expansions at Topura America Fastener and Country Oven Bakery.

“We are climbing out of this recession,” he said, “and we are not going to quit until we get these people back to work.”