With the change of shareholders and the decision to expand Norafin’s production capacity in the USA, important milestones for our future were already placed in 2016. A significant step for our expansion in the US helped strengthen market position. In autumn 2016 with the purchase of property in Mills River, North Carolina. Norafin will invest around € 20 million in the new production facility and provide approximately 45 new jobs for the area.
There were several good reasons for choosing the East Coast as production site. The area of Henderson County has a history in the textile industry, and therefore, universities and colleges teach corresponding fields of study. Norafin does not only hope to win specialized staff, but at the same time to establish a cooperative collaboration with institutes to exchange knowledge and to accompany research projects. Another, essential reason for the site in Mills River is the water quality. The water in this area is poor in minerals and thus, perfectly qualified for producing spunlaced nonwovens.
On June 7th, 2017, the eagerly anticipated groundbreaking took place on the property of School House Road. Together with Mills River Councilman Shanon Gonce and County Commission Chairman Michael Edney, André Lang and Stuart Smith executed the first groundbreaking. Construction work has begun, and the building shall be completed by autumn 2017, afterwards the assembly of the spunlace line will begin. In spring 2018 the first nonwovens shall be produced in series at the new production facility.
