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Duralee Fabrics Limited Moving to Burke

For Immediate Release

 Duralee Fabrics Limited Moving to Burke County

Company to Add Jobs at Morganton Facility

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. (June 19, 2015) – Duralee Fabrics Limited and Duralee Fine Furniture, a manufacturer that has had a presence in Burke County since 2005, is expanding operations at its Morganton facility. The company committed to adding 41 new jobs for which they received a $410,000 Building Reuse Grant from the N.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority. Company executives anticipate hiring significantly more workers over the next two years. “We’re happy to be there and excited.” said Bill Fuchs, CFO for Duralee Fabrics and Duralee Fine Furniture. “We have a number of employees who are moving down to NC and we’re happy about that. We’re glad to be in a place where we are wanted and we hope to continue to be successful. The business is on the uptick. The furniture company is doing very well right now. We’re excited to be down there and hope to be there for a long, long time” The Duralee Fine Furniture facility, located at 647 Hopewell Road, is 180,000 sq. ft. and was constructed in 1963. The grant funds will be used for upgrades to the building’s offices, roof, lighting and HVAC. Duralee Fine Furniture is one of the main divisions of Duralee Fabrics and the first to create its own furniture in-house. “I’ve known the principals of Duralee for many years and was with them when they opened here 10 years ago,” said Morganton Mayor Mel Cohen. “I’m excited they would choose to move more of their operations into this community. It is truly a good move for them and for us.” North Carolina Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla, III and Assistance Secretary for Rural Development Dr. Patricia Mitchell announced the grant on June 18. The Building Reuse Program provides grants and loans to local governments to renovate vacant buildings, renovate and/or expand a building occupied by an existing North Carolina company, and/or renovate, expand or construct health care facilities that lead to the creation of new, full-time jobs. This grant round was extremely competitive as only six projects were selected for funding. The City of Morganton split the required local match with Burke County.  The Western Piedmont Council of Governments (WPCOG) and Burke Development, Inc. (BDI) assisted with the grant. “We’re very excited to see another manufacturer growing and expanding here in Burke County,” said Burke County Commissioner Chairman Johnnie Carswell. “On behalf of the County Commissioners we thank Duralee for their continued growth and for the jobs they provide our hard working citizens.” “This was a competitive project with many partners involved with their support including the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Michelle Cammarata with Ryan, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Western Piedmont Council of Governments, the City of Morganton, Burke County and Burke Development,” said BDI President and CEO Alan Wood. “Having job growth from our existing industry is the linchpin of our economic development strategy. We welcome this growth and look forward to working with them in the future.” The company plans to start hiring immediately and will seek new employees through NC Works. Those interested should visit www.ncworks.gov or visit the NC Works office located at 720 East Union Street in Morganton. About Burke Development, Inc. Burke Development, Inc. (BDI) is a nonprofit organization supported by private and public funding that is charged with accelerating economic growth in Burke County. BDI works with industry leaders, site selection consultants, government agencies and other entities to facilitate expansion strategies for existing businesses and recruit target industries to Burke County. For more information about BDI visit www.BurkeDevInc.com.

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Contact: Alan Wood 828.764.1818


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