Henderson County Investment & Job Creation Announcement

Hendersonville , NC – On Tuesday, June 23, 2009 business and government leaders gathered at the Henderson County Historic Courthouse to announce three job creation and investment expansions for BorgWarner, Warm Company and Wilsonart. Earlier in the year, the Henderson County Board of Commissioners expressed their support of the proposed expansion projects and extended economic development assistance to encourage the projects to take place in Henderson County . Both the BorgWarner and Wilsonart projects received similar assistance from the Fletcher Town Council.

Key representatives from each of the companies were on hand to summarize their projects, in addition to members of the Board of Commissioners, Fletcher Town Council and Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development (HCPED) Board of Directors. All together the growth initiatives amount to almost $17 million in investment and 21-32 new jobs for the area. HCPED Board Chairman, Adam Shealy, welcomed all attending and made initial comments that were referenced throughout the event. He stated, “We are fortunate that these companies have made the decision to grow and invest in Henderson County . Given the increasing competition in attracting advanced manufacturing jobs in a global market, these are significant wins for Henderson County and the region.”

John Roden, VP of Global Supply Chain Management, and Tim Biddix, Acting Plant Manager, of BorgWarner participated in the announcement. Roden explained that the $12.5 million investment in the Fletcher facility represented new technology that was being considered at multiple locations, both stateside and in Europe . He further remarked that Henderson County’s business climate, low tax rate, and access to core customers were all significant considerations in their decision making process. As key with any investment in a standing facility, the new technology further solidifies the company’s confidence in the local facility.

The Warm Company’s General Manager, Barry Brown, attended the announcement event. The Warm Company developed a new industrial product line and initially considered locating the machinery and positions at their headquarters in Washington . Brown, whose grandfather was a Henderson County Commissioner in the 1960’s, spoke of the support received locally to steer the new product to the local operation. A significant factor in their decision making process was the ability to secure a $200,000 Small Business Entrepreneurial and Assistance Grant through the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Community Assistance. The grant was awarded in early 2009, to cover the expense of design engineering, easement acquisition and construction of wastewater infrastructure to the facility. The Warm Company’s expansion results in $3.2 million investment in real property and business personal property, in addition to the creation of 6-12 new jobs.

Plant Manager of Wilsonart, Tim Gwennap, discussed their decision to relocate and consolidate a regional distribution facility from an out-of-state location to Henderson County . The project totaled a $1.194 million investment and 15-20 new jobs for the area. Gwennap explained that the Fletcher facility is now the primary manufacturer and distributor of Wilsonart products for the east coast. He remarked that support from Fletcher and Henderson County assisted his efforts to consolidate the operations in North Carolina .

Following summaries of each project, Chairman Bill Moyer was the first to thank each of the company representatives for choosing Henderson County for their business growth. Moyer reiterated that these projects are highly competitive, and in some cases Henderson County was poised against international locations for consideration. “ Henderson County is happy to play a role in encouraging these expansions, and we thank you for your efforts to continue to provide quality jobs to our citizens,” he stated.

Mayor Bill Moore of Fletcher, who was instrumental in securing the Wilsonart and BorgWarner projects in the Cane Creek Industrial Park area, outlined Fletcher’s commitment to economic development. “’The Town of Fletcher places priority on retaining and growing our advanced manufacturing base. We are proud that these companies have chosen our area to locate investment and job creation projects.”

The Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development, Inc. is a 501(c)(6) organization that works to: retain and attract quality jobs; solicit new business compatible with the assets and values of Henderson County ; promote Henderson County ’s business image; assist expansion of existing companies; and enhance Henderson County ’s overall quality of life.