PINEVILLE, La. (AP) _ Procter & Gamble will spend $125 million to expand one of its plants here so it can begin to produce liquid laundry detergent, company officials announced.

The company will use the money to add facilities to manufacture heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent to the current operations of the Procter & Gamble Alexandria plant, plant manager Todd Hoffman said.

The plant is one of only two nationwide now making Tide dry detergent, but with the expansion, it will be able to produce liquid detergent under such brands as Tide, Bold, Gain and Cheer.

Hoffman said construction of the new facilities should begin in six to 12 months. He said the new plant is targeted for operation in mid-2005.

Gov. Mike Foster said in a written statement that construction of the new plant will create 100 to 200 construction jobs. Once construction is complete, the company will add 20 full-time employees, “with potential for additional jobs in the future.”

Hoffman said the local plant actively sought to house facilities for liquid detergent manufacturing because the dry detergent market is no longer growing.

“The consumers have voted with their wallets,” Hoffman said.

But the plant will also continue to produce dry detergent, Hoffman said.

“We have no plans to exit that market,” he added.

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