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Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Avgol, a leading manufacturer of ultra lightweight nonwoven fabrics, will expand its facility in Davie County. The company plans to create 42 jobs and invest $35 million during the next three years in Mocksville. The project was made possible in part by an $84,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“North Carolina is a world-leader in the nonwoven fabrics industry and these jobs are a win for North Carolina textile workers and Davie County,” said Gov. Perdue. “Creating jobs is my top priority, so it’s essential for the future of our economy to expand trade and encourage investments in our people from nations around the world.”
Today’s announcement was made the day after Commerce Sec. Keith Crisco met with Avgol CEO Shlomo Liran in Tel Aviv, Israel. The meeting was part of Sec. Crisco’s trade mission to increase investments in North Carolina from Israel. Over the last 8 years, Israeli investments in North Carolina amount to more than $233 million and 930 jobs created.
Avgol is the leading global manufacturer and supplier of ultra lightweight and top quality nonwoven fabrics primarily for manufacturers of baby diapers, adult incontinence and feminine hygiene products. The current Mocksville facility, with 132 employees, operates three production lines running at full capacity and will expand with a new fourth production line. In addition to the Davie County plant, Avgol has manufacturing operations in Israel, China and Russia.
Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $33,629 not including benefits. The Davie County average annual wage is $28,808.
“Our strategy is to continue to grow our business in our largest market here in the USA. Our customers continue to challenge us for more unique and innovative products that are cost effective. We have been able to meet those challenges over the past ten years. This has hastened our growth in Mocksville,” said Ronnie Batchler, COO of Avgol Nonwoven Industries. “We will continue to be challenged. We will need the cooperation of our dedicated employees, our customers, and the state and local governments to sustain our current business and to continue our aggressive growth rate.”
The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches.
“We are excited to bring more jobs to Davie County giving people a chance to work closer to home,” said Rep. Julia Howard.
North Carolina continues to have a top-ranked business climate. Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state works aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain its workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.
Through use of the One NC Fund, more than 50,000 jobs and $9 billion in investment have been created since 2001. Other partners that helped with this project include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, Energy United, Davie County and the Town of Mocksville.
For more information about Avgol, including job opportunities, go to www.avgol.com.
