Economic development on the rise in Archdale

September 4, 2014

ARCHDALE — Archdale is booming.

In terms of economic development, that is. The city has four ongoing projects and one pending, Mayor Bert Lance Stone told City Council on Aug. 26, more than any other area in Randolph County.

“Archdale is very busy right now, in part due to the availability of buildings,” confirmed Bonnie Renfro, president of the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation. “Most companies seek an existing building to meet their needs and Archdale has had several available buildings.”

Recent development includes Brookline Furniture, which relocated from High Point to Archdale to accommodate its expanding workforce, and Ambella Home Collection, a Texas-based furniture company that will invest about $1 million and add 12 jobs.

Another, Renfro continued, is Swatchcraft, which is purchasing the building at 505 Aztec Drive to expand production.

“They are a 30-year-old company with 55 employees that produce quilted swatches for the apparel, fabric and furnishings industry,” Renfro said. “They expect to add 20 new jobs with the expansion.”

Then there is Irema Filter Technologies. The German-owned company, which does business in the U.S. Under the name Aeolus, plans to relocate to the former Supreme Foam buildings, at 4010 and 4012 Cheyenne Drive.

“They manufacture air filters used in large equipment at hospitals, industry and gas turbines,” explained Renfro. “They currently have four employees and plan to add four more jobs within the next year.”

She could not comment on the pending project.

This boom is not particularly surprising for the city. Over the past few years, Archdale has seen an increase in the number of furniture and furniture-related businesses choosing to relocate or expand into the city. Others include Paul Brayton Designs, Style Crest and Future Foam.

This is also part of a larger trend that includes the entire Piedmont. Last week, United Furniture announced it was expanding into the Weeks building in Winston-Salem.

“North Carolina is ranked 4th in the nation for the most manufacturing companies,” Renfro pointed out.

Manufacturers are returning to this area because of the infrastructure and the skilled workforce.

“Archdale and Randolph County have a long legacy of quality manufacturing and that legacy, with an outstanding workforce and highly reusable facilities, is helping to drive our growth,” Renfro explained. “It will remain a highly competitive environment, but our combination of location, highway access, workforce and business environment will continue to generate industrial growth.”

Source: ATNonline.net