Norafin Industries (Germany) GmbH announced their plans to build their first North American manufacturing facility in Henderson County, NC. Norafin (Americas) Inc. will construct a 75,000 sf building in the Town of Mills River, invest $18,100,000 and create 46 new jobs. The establishment of a North American manufacturing facility will allow Norafin to better serve existing clients, penetrate new markets, and provide a solid platform for continued future growth. The company has maintained a sales presence in Asheville over the past decade.

Norafin was established in 1980 in East Germany, making Mildenau, Germany their headquarters since 1997. Norafin is a leading manufacturer of specialty spunlace nonwovens used in many technical applications. One such application is heat and flame resistance barriers used in protective apparel for firefighters. “When you see the guys going out and attacking the fire, those suits often contain 2-3 layers of Norafin product,” stated André Lang, President of Norafin. Other applications serving industrial, medical, and filtration markets require different, but equally as demanding, performance criteria.

The company began their search for a North American location in March 2016. They explored sites throughout western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. Following a rezoning to industrial, Norafin focused their interest on a 14-acre parcel on School House Road, just north of the intersection with Banner Farm Road. “We learned that this site reminds them of their home in the Saxony region of Germany – the mountains, the valley and the community,” shared Henderson County Commission Chairman Tommy Thompson.

The company plans to start site work in early 2017, which will be followed by vertical construction. By late 2017, the company will begin hiring, with production expected to begin by mid-2018.

“We are grateful, as always, to have our community and state supporting quality jobs in Henderson County. The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina went above and beyond to help quantify our cost advantage, which pairs well with our unparalleled quality of life,” shared Will Buie, Chair of the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development.

To learn more about Norafin, please visit www.norafin.com. For more information about the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development and its role protecting and building a strong local economy visit www.strategiclocation.com.