A German company has announced plans to open its second home in North Carolina. The move will bring nearly 50 jobs to the area.
Norafin Industries, will build the 75,000-square-foot plant in Mills River, NC, an $18.1-million investment. Norafin expects the facility to be operational in 2018 with site work beginning in January.
The manufacturer makes a special heat and flame resistant material used in protective apparel for firefighters.
"A number of factors went into our decision," business director for Norafin Americas Stuart Smith told the Citizen-Times. "In general, this area is very similar to where we're located in Germany — a small town in a mountainous, rural region — so we feel very much at home. And a key requirement for us is a large supply of quality, clean water, because we use a lot of it in our manufacturing process."
The completed facility is expected to bring with it 46 jobs, which will include operators, supervisors, technicians and managers. Officials say the annual wage will be slightly higher than the county average.