Burke County Manufacturer Plans 10k Sq. Ft. Expansion
$500,000 Building Reuse Grant Announced for Project Vette
Burke County, N.C. (October 20, 2022) Governor Roy Cooper’s Office and the North Carolina Department of Commerce has announced the award of a $200,000 Building Reuse grant to support the growth of Burke County manufacturer Molded Fiber Glass Co. (MFG). MFG is expanding its facility to increase capacities and take on new projects in the automotive industry.
MFG has been in operation since 1993 in Burke County and has steadily grown over the past 30 years. MFG is a premier producer of fiberglass reinforced plastic parts through compression molding for the heavy trucks, automotive, and bath industries. MFG is a vendor for GM, Freightliner, American Standard and Hummer. General Motors is requiring new housing for high compression molding presses, that includes a single 1100-ton press and a single 600-ton press. The new space will allow for a new manufacturing line to be placed within the current facility and manufacture molded products.
“We are very excited Molded Fiber Glass Co. is expanding their operations in our community,” said Scott Mulwee, Chairman of the Burke County Commissioners. “Morganton is committed to creating opportunities for everyone. We welcome this project as they take steps toward achieving our shared goals for the community.”
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. The project is expected to create approximately $7M in new capital investment. “Not only are the new jobs important but solidifying existing jobs was key to this project,” said Mayor of Morganton, Ronnie Thompson. “We are grateful for the hard work of all the partners in this project, striving to keep our county competitive.
Projects supported by these grants must lead to the creation of private sector jobs by new or expanding businesses. The company currently employs approximately 320 temporary and permanent full-time employees and plans on adding an additional 30 new jobs by the end of 2023. These jobs are projected to pay on average $41,000/per year which is higher than the county average.
Alan Wood, President and CEO of Burke Development, Inc. (BDI) had the following to say, “Helping our existing industries grow is at the core of our efforts. We love the creativity of MFG and appreciate their efforts to diversify and grow in Burke County.”
Burke Development, Inc. would like to thank all their partners for their efforts on this project including N.C. Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, City of Morganton, Burke County, Western Piedmont Community College and the Western Piedmont Council of Governments. We also want to recognize the continued support of our local legislative representatives: NC House Representative Hugh Blackwell and Senator Warren Daniel.
For the full 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.
###
Contact:
Alan Wood
828.764.9372