Good news for economy in mountains
Wednesday, November 30th, 2005
By Chris Fitzsimon
News that a packaging company will create 110 jobs and invest $20 million in Transylvania County is a welcome boost and a hopeful sign our area can attract new industry even in a time of declining manufacturing.
Excelsior Packaging Group chose the shuttered Coats America plant near Rosman as the site to produce its new line of "Steamfast" packaging for cooking food in microwave ovens. The Yonkers, N.Y.-based company expects to begin operations in the spring.
The jobs will pay an average of $534 weekly plus benefits. That’s above the county average of $468 weekly without benefits.
Coming just in time for Thanksgiving, the news was a welcome relief from the gloomy string of plant closings and layoffs that have hit Western North Carolina and Transylvania County in recent years. Closings at Ecusta, Agfa and Coats America cost 1,228 jobs. In Henderson County, the closing of the Steelcase office furniture plant in Fletcher last year eliminated 480 jobs.
Transylvania County leaders plan to match a $250,000 grant Excelsior got through the One North Carolina Fund. The county is working to extend natural gas lines to the plant as part of an economic incentives package. (more…)
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