EJ Victor Receives $240,000 Building Reuse Grant From the State for Expansion and Up Fit
Morganton, N.C. (December 9, 2021) – Premier furniture manufacturer EJ Victor received a $240,000 Building Reuse grant from the state. The grant supports expansion and restoration of the building they currently occupy at 110 Wamsutta Mill Road in Morganton. The City of Morganton was the applicant for the grant and they along with Burke County will supply a 5% local match for the project.
“We are very appreciative of the grant opportunity and how it will assist us in our expansion plans,” said David Bennett, President & CEO of EJ Victor. “As a locally owned and operated business, being able to manufacture our wood and upholstery products domestically is a real source of pride and given the current global supply chain, a real competitive advantage. The grant will specifically allow us to convert a section of our factory that was once used to house imported products into a manufacturing floor that will domestically produce case goods and upholstery.”
Projects supported by these grants must lead to the creation of private sector jobs by new or expanding businesses. The company currently employs over 140 and plans on adding at least 30 new jobs over the next 18 months. These jobs are projected to pay on average over $47,000/per year which is more than 20% above the current county average wage.
“Not only are the new jobs important but solidifying existing jobs was key to this project,” said Jeff Brittain, Chairman of the Burke County Commissioners. “We are grateful for the hard work of all the partners in this project, striving to keep our county competitive. Their efforts have ensured the company’s continued growth and we are very excited to announce the project.”
Alan Wood, President and CEO of Burke Development Inc. said “We are pleased to see continuing growth by our legacy industries. Furniture is a large part of our heritage and we appreciate E J Victor’s efforts and the support of North Carolina, The City of Morganton and Burke County for helping them make this possible.”
“We are very excited about this expansion opportunity for EJ Victor”, said Ronnie Thompson, Mayor of Morganton. “Morganton is committed to creating opportunities for everyone and we welcome this project as part of achieving our shared community goals.”
EJ Victor, who has been based in North Carolina since 1990, plans to increase their case goods and upholstery lines by expanding internal manufacturing space. Ninety percent of their product is currently made in North Carolina and they hope to increase that percentage through possible reshoring of product currently manufactured abroad.
To view the announcement from the Governor’s office click (here).
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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Contacts:
Tel: 828-764-1818 Email: alan@burkedevinc.com