The Rowan EDC announced that Eastern Wholesale Fence LLC (Eastern Fence), a Center Rock Capital Partners and Leelanau Private Capital portfolio company, will expand its manufacturing and distribution facility in Rowan County. Eastern Fence plans to create 40 new jobs and invest $10.5 million in equipment and improvements to its facility in the Mid-South Industrial Park at 7401 Statesville Boulevard.
Founded in 1971, Eastern Fence is a well-known manufacturer and distributor of residential and commercial fence products. Headquartered in Medford, New York, the company offers a full line of vinyl fence and railing products, wood fence products, chain-link fence products, aluminum and steel ornamental fence and railing products, and more. Eastern also has a location in Fort Mill, South Carolina, and includes the following companies under its umbrella; Shoreline Vinyl Systems in Denton, Maryland, South Camden Iron Works in Mickleton, New Jersey and Coastal Aluminum in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Previously, Eastern Fence announced an expansion into Rowan County in 2020 with 142 jobs and a $17.5 million investment.
“Eastern Wholesale Fence LLC is excited to be expanding its operations in Rowan County. We have experienced a great deal of success in less than two years since beginning our operations in Rowan, which has facilitated the need for additional expansion and job creation,” said Peter Williams Jr., Eastern Fence’s Chief Executive Officer. “These upgrades and new positions will further enable us to efficiently serve our customers with our high-quality products. We appreciate the continued support of the Rowan EDC and Rowan County, and look forward to continued partnership for years to come.”
The Rowan County Board of Commissioners showed its support for the project by extending the company’s previously-awarded Economic Development Investment Grant, a performance-based incentive requiring the company to meet predetermined employment goals before incentives are paid. “We are thrilled that Eastern Fence has chosen to expand its facility in our community,” said County Commission Chairman Greg Edds. “It is a testament to all the advantages Rowan County offers when a company decides to expand such a short time after arriving here, and we’re certainly glad they did.”
Rowan EDC President Rod Crider expressed his gratitude for the company’s investment: “We’d like to thank Eastern Fence for selecting Rowan County for their expansion. Their presence in our community strengthens the economic base with well-paying and skilled jobs in a prominent industry sector. We have enjoyed having Eastern Fence in Rowan County and look forward to assisting in their continued growth.”