News Articles
Gillespie Precast Expanding into Randolph County
April 17, 2025
Gillespie Precast Will Create 60 New Jobs in Randolph County
Gillespie Precast NC expands their operations to southwestern Randolph County NC serving the southeast market.
Randolph County NC – Gillespie Precast LLC is a 100-year-old, fifth-generation family owned and operated precast concrete manufacturer that serves utility and site contractors in the MD, DE, PA NJ and VA markets. Gillespie Precast has over 200 years of combined management experience and a solid reputation for producing high-quality products backed by excellent customer service. Current product line and precast concrete solutions include box culvert, dry utility (power, electric and communication) structures, pump station structures, pre-piped meter vaults, sanitary and storm sewer drainage items, complete trench drain packages, and many types of custom precast.
“We are excited at the prospect of having Gillespie Precast NC, LLC join our Randolph Business Community. Our EDC team continues to bring these quality businesses to Randolph County,” said, Darrell Frye, Chair, Randolph County Commissioners. “Their investment in both property and jobs will further secure future stability in the County and for our families.”
Gillespie’s plans to establish a manufacturing facility in Randolph County NC will allow the company to expand its current operations south to serve both existing and new clients. The target product line will consist of precast concrete box culvert, both wet and dry utility vaults, manholes, catch basins, box culverts and other custom structures.
“While we had several locations within North Carolina and Virginia targeted in our expansion plans, once we walked the property at High Pine Church Road it was abundantly clear to us that this was where we were going to plant our flag,” stated, Andrew Gillespie, President of Gillespie Precast. “The welcome we received from the county’s leadership, the support we have had from the representatives at the RCEDC, and the positive outreach by the adjoining property owners and neighbors in the area, really sealed the decision for us. We are excited to begin production and look forward to being a great partner for the people and Randolph County community for many years to come. Beyond that, I would encourage and even urge other businesses to take a hard look at Randolph County for expansions like ours. They are serious about making life better for their residents and are eager to help bring in the best, market ready companies available to them.”
Gillespie Precast plans to purchase 32.85 acres on High Pine Church Road, Asheboro NC, formerly owned by Hughes Furniture Industries. The company plans to demolition portions of the existing structures while renovating other sections while building a new facility on site. The company’s estimated new investment exceeds $9 million, creating sixty new jobs with average wages of $63,000, which is above the county average wage of $49,355.
“We are so pleased that Gillespie Precast has chosen Randolph County to set up their new facility, said Crystal Gettys, Business Recruitment Director for Randolph County EDC. “This is the perfect business for this property, and it will make the highest and best use out of it, all while adding good paying jobs to this section of the county. We welcome Gillespie Precast and look forward to seeing its success here.”
Gillespie Precast’ s investment and job creation qualifies them for both local and state incentives. Upon meeting their investment and job creation measures, Randolph County has approved a local incentive grant of $92,000 to be paid over a five-year period. In addition to local incentives, Gillespie Precast qualifies for $350,000 in state grants to include a One NC Grant and a Building Reuse Grant, both requiring the local government to be the applicant on behalf of the company and a local match that will be satisfied as part of the local incentive package.
The EDC is grateful for the support of all the partners who helped make this announcement possible to include Randolph County, North Carolina Department of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), and North Carolina Community College System.
About the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation: The Randolph County Economic Development Corporation is dedicated to fostering economic growth, supporting local businesses, and enhancing the quality of life for residents. Our mission is to support a growing healthy economy so that local residents have diverse, quality job opportunities through the attraction of new businesses to the area and the retention and expansion of existing businesses and industries. Through strategic partnerships and innovative programs, RCEDC drives industrial development and strengthens the county’s position as a premier business destination in North Carolina. RCEDC is a proud community member of the NC Carolina Core.
Ride the Rise video campaign
February 4, 2025
A new campaign aims to spread the word about economic resurgence in Randolph County to people considering a move into the region, the Randolph County Economic Development Corp. said.
The Ride the Rise campaign is a workforce-attraction initiative inviting individuals from across North Carolina and beyond to discover the exceptional career opportunities and high quality of life that Randolph County has to offer, an RCEDC press release said.
In 2012, Asheboro and Randolph County faced significant challenges, even drawing national attention through a 60 Minutes segment titled “The Death and Life of Asheboro.”
Today, despite layoffs in the area’s traditional employment sectors — including prominently the closure of Klaussner Furniture Industries in August 2023 — the county has had a string of big economic wins, including Toyota’s battery manufacturing plant under construction in liberty, the Ross Store Inc. distribution center planned for the Randleman area and the Wolfspeed semiconductor plant near Siler City.
Last April Randolph Community College announced plans to spend $8.5 million on three new projects aimed at addressing expected workforce needs driven by what RCC President and CEO Shah Ardalan described as $30 billion of investment in industrial projects within a 30-minute drive.
Kevin Franklin, president of the RCEDC, said that Randolph County is proving that it is a place of opportunity and promise.
“We want to redefine the narrative and showcase all the good happening here in the heart of North Carolina,” he said. “Randolph County has seen incredible progress over the past decade, and now is the time to invite others to join us. Whether you’re starting a career, transitioning from military service, or looking for new opportunities after a job displacement, Randolph County is a place where you can build your future.”
The Ride the Rise campaign focuses on key demographic groups to reach the workforce of the future, including:
• Community college students across North Carolina pursuing technical skills aligned with local employer needs.
• Military personnel and their families transitioning from North Carolina bases and seeking strong career prospects.
• Workers affected by large layoffs and facility closures looking for stability and growth opportunities.
Ride The Rise will include targeted advertising on social media and Google ads to direct the audience to consider Randolph County, the RCEDC news release said. The campaign will feature video content, banner ads, and promoted stories highlighting Randolph County’s thriving economy and lifestyle benefits.
As part of this process the RCEDC has launched a new “Jobs of the Future” landing page with up-to-date job information.
For more information about Ride the Rise and to view campaign materials, visit rcedc.com.
Source: Courier-Tribune
Kayser-Roth to layoff approximatley 120 employees
January 30, 2025
Kayser-RothCorp., the Greensboro-based hosiery maker, informed the North Carolina Department of Commerce on Monday that it permanently closed its manufacturing facility in Asheboro on Jan. 24, resulting in the layoff of 116 workers.
"Kayser-Roth has decided, after painful consideration, to cease operations at its Asheboro, NC facility," CEO Gianni Orsini wrote in the company's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing.
"Ongoing cost pressures have led to a reconsideration of Kayser-Roth's facility footprint and resulted in this decision," he wrote.
A Kayser-Roth spokesperson said the company had no further comment but confirmed that in addition to its headquarters at 102 Corporate Center Blvd. in Greensboro, the company has a manufacturing plant at 724 W. Interstate Service Road in Burlington and a distribution center in Lumberton in southeast N.C.
In its WARN filing on Monday, Kayser-Roth noted its employees are not union members and do not have "bumping rights" at its other facilities. It said all employees have been notified of the closure.
The company had 550 employees as of 2022, according to a filing with the U.S. Department of Labor.
But that was before it notified North Carolina authorities in September 2023 of plans to eliminate 126 jobs at its Lumberton facility. The company blamed declining demand for what the factory produced for the job eliminations.
Dating from the early 20th century and owned since the 1970s by a string of conglomerates and holding companies, Kayser-Roth makes and markets socks, hosiery, leggings, tops, sleepwear, personal protective equipment and commercial and industrial products for filters and drains. In 1999, it was acquired by Italian textile company Golden Lady.
Among its primary brands are Hue and No-nonsense.
This is third layoff notice in the Triad in the past week. PVH Corp., formerly known as Phillips-Van Heusen Corp., notified the N.C. Department of Commerce on Jan. 23 that it is permanently closing its facility in Jonesville in Yadkin County and will lay off 317 people by the end of the year.
Olon Industries notified the Commerce Department on Jan. 24 it plans to close its facility at 67 Biesecker Road in Lexington, with the first of 53 separations starting March 28 and ending by around May 30.
Source: Triad Business Journal
Ross Distribution begins Construction
December 11, 2024
Ross Dress for Less begins construction on Randolph facility after county approves $300M building permit
In late May, the N.C. Economic Investment Committee approved a package of incentives worth up to $8.4 million for Ross. Randleman and Randolph County approved an even larger incentive package of $38.6 million over 15 years, in addition to Randolph County agreeing to transfer 30 acres of county-owned property valued at $1 million to Ross.
When Ross received approval for the incentives, it projected that the facility would be 1.7 million square-feet, about 570,000 square-feet less than the size listed on the building permit.
The site is in the I-74 Industrial Center developed by Samet Corp. It was initially described as being in Randleman, but the building permits lists the address in Sophia..
In July, Ross paid $21.24 million for approximately 336.7 acres land from Samet Corp for the facility. Samet had assembled the land and purchased it for $11.95 million. While Samet had previously announced that industrial center would be 1,600 acres, the Randolph County EDC said in May that it had worked with the company to secure additional land from surrounding property owners for the site of be 330 acres.
Ross is expected to invest a total of $450 million into the project through the end of 2026. The N.C. Department of Commerce predicated that the project would increase the state's gross domestic product by $1.4 billion and net state revenue $19.7 million, with a return on investment generating $1.61 for every state dollar invested, according to its economic-forecasting model.
The project is expected to create 852 jobs, which includes 550 full-time jobs through third-party staffing not included in the calculation for the state incentive package. The average wages for the jobs is projected to be $45,806, which is almost equivalent to Randolph County’s average salary of $45,801.
Ross Dress for Less is part of Ross Stores Inc. (Nasdaq: ROST), which is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area. The company describes Ross Dress for Less as the largest "off-price apparel and home fashion chain" in the United States.
Ross's retail jobs in North Carolina were not included in the incentive. The retailer has eight stores in the Triad, including two locations each in Winston-Salem and Greensboro and one in High Point, Asheboro, Clemmons and Burlington respectively. Outside of the Triad, it has seven stores in the Triangle, three in the Charlotte metro area and one in Sanford.
Source: Triad Business Journal
Green Metals, Inc, Annouces New Facility in Liberty
June 10, 2024
Press Release: June 10, 2024
Contact: Kevin Franklin – kfranklin@rcedc.com, 336-686-2134
Green Metals, Inc. Announces New Facility in Liberty
Liberty, NC – Green Metals, Inc. (GMI), has announced plans to build a facility for electric vehicle battery waste handling and recycling. The operation will support Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC) in Liberty and will be located on the TBMNC campus. GMI will process dry battery material for offsite recycling, as well as handle and store other waste streams from TBMNC, including cardboard, plastic, and general waste, which will be compacted at the facility and sent offsite for recycling.
GMI’s projected capital investment over five years will total $19.8 million including both real property and machinery and equipment. The company will create 47 new jobs over that same five-year period. The company’s competitive wages and benefits package will offer an attractive option for job seekers.
Established in 1999, GMI is a Toyota Tsusho group company which provides customized industrial scrap/waste handling and recycling solutions; the company currently operates eight locations in the US. GMI’s detailed analysis of individual scrap generators enables the company to develop and implement tailored scrap recycling programs that ensure customers competitive pricing, prompt service, and maximum environmental protection.
“We join with our EDC team in welcoming another Toyota Tsusho project to Randolph County. Green Metals, Inc. will bring an important service to Toyota Battery in the form of a waste handling and recycling facility. The investment of almost twenty million dollars, bringing another 47 jobs to the area, will boost our economy and employment opportunities for our citizens,” said Darrell Frye, Chairman of the Randolph County Board of Commissioners. “This growth of the Megasite is made possible through the continued cooperation with Toyota, our EDC team, and our Randolph County staff. We welcome GMI and offer our assistance in any way needed.”
GMI will receive training support from the North Carolina Community College System which will be administered locally by Randolph Community College. The company has received additional support from the State in the form of a $60,000 Recycling Business Development Grant awarded by the NC Department of Environmental Quality. The grant will assist with the purchase of recycling equipment.
“At Green Metals, we are excited to bring our expertise in recycling and waste handling to North Carolina in support of the growing automotive battery industry,” said Dave Eisenacher, President, Green Metals, Inc. “We are grateful for the community’s support of this project, and we look forward to our future here in Randolph County.”
“We are excited to welcome GMI to our community,” stated Randolph County EDC president Kevin Franklin. “GMI will play a critical role in the EV battery ecosystem by ensuring safe and advanced waste processing, helping the company achieve its goal of ‘battery to battery recycling’ which benefits all of us.”
Support from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the North Carolina Community College System, Randolph Community College, and NCDEQ has been vital to FTBC’s announced investment and job creation.
The Randolph County Economic Development Corporation is a non-profit organization that works with industrial clients in the county. The EDC’s mission is to support a growing healthy economy so that local residents have diverse quality job opportunities through the attraction of new businesses to the area and the retention and expansion of existing business and industry. The EDC is a proud partner of the NC Carolina Core.
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