FLORENCE ‑ The Shoals Economic Development Authority Board today recommended dedicating up to $385,000 toward a project that will allow TASUS Corp. to build at the Florence-Lauderdale Industrial Park.

TASUS, a Japanese auto parts supplier, announced last week it plans to build a plant at the park in a $19.1 million investment that will provide 135 jobs.

The recommendation goes to the Shoals Industrial Development Committee for consideration during a called meeting Tuesday, SEDA Vice President Susie Heird said.

The company, which is a major supplier for North American Lighting’s Muscle Shoals plant, will start with about 15 employees at a temporary site in November, TASUS President Melanie Hart said last week. She said plans call for the 104,000-square-foot permanent structure to be in operation by October 2013.

For that to happen, Gerrard Drive and some utilities at the park will have to be relocated. The SEDA appropriation would provide $150,000 toward the road relocation and $65,000 for utilities relocation, Heird said.

In addition, $170,000 is needed to purchase the property on Parkway Drive where the plant will be built, she said.

The state of Alabama also is dedicating $200,000 toward the Gerrard relocation, Heird said.

“The relocation of utilities and extension of Gerrard Drive will have an additional advantage in that it will make this a more attractive property,” she said.

TASUS initially will open at a temporary facility on Wall Street in Florence by November.

Typically, the funds are dedicated before an announcement, but TASUS officials agreed to move forward with the announcement last week in order to accommodate the schedules of Koichi Ohara, the president of TASUS’ parent company, Tsuchiya Co. Ltd., and Gov. Robert Bentley.