Expansion of White Oak Carpet Mills, LLC to Bring 40 New Jobs to Rutherford County

Press Release

Governor Pat McCrory, N.C. Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla III and the Economic Development Partnership of N.C. announced today that White Oak Carpet Mills, LLC, a division of CAP Carpet, Inc. based in Wichita, Kansas is expanding its operations in Rutherford County and plans to create 40 new jobs over the next three years. The company plans to invest $4.1 million in the town of Spindale over the same period.

"Some of the best carpets in the world are made right here in North Carolina by White Oak Carpet Mills," said Governor McCrory. "This expansion will nearly triple its workforce so it can produce even more with the "made in North Carolina' label."

White Oak is headquartered at CAP's corporate facility in Wichita, and its mill is located in Spindale. It currently has 14 employees in its Spindale location.

"Nothing compares to North Carolina when it comes to quality manufacturing," said Secretary Skvarla. "By expanding its operation here in North Carolina, White Oak will be able to take advantage of the skilled and capable workforce we have available."

Salaries will vary by job but will include management and production. The average annual salary of the new jobs will be $38,878; the average for Rutherford County is $30,479.

"We are very proud to be a part of the great textile heritage of Rutherford County which has been a tremendous source of skilled workers and craftsmen for generations. Made in America still means superior quality and unsurpassed craftsmanship to our clients, so when it was time for us to expand our operations, it was our primary goal to try and find a suitable facility near Spindale," said Tom Pack, president of manufacturing at White Oak.

"Fortunately, Governor McCrory, Commerce Secretary Skvarla, the Economic Development Partnership of N.C., the Rural Infrastructure Authority, North Carolina Community College System, Rutherford County Economic Development, Rutherford County and the Town of Spindale helped us find the solution we were looking for, and it's right here in Spindale. This allows us to keep our current staff and will also allow us to bring on additional workers as we complete the consolidation and expansion of our facilities," said Pack.

The project was made possible in part by a performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund of up to $25,000. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance through local governments to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches.

In addition, the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority has awarded Rutherford County a Building Reuse Program grant in the amount of $300,000 to support the reuse of a 250,000 sq. ft. building located at 1553 Old Ballpark Rd. in Spindale. The building was constructed in 1973 and has been vacant for more than five years. White Oak will relocate its current operations to that building.

"This is another great jobs announcement for North Carolina, and is good news for Rutherford County," said Representative Mike Hager. "Governor McCrory and I will continue to work to bring more new jobs to the region."

In addition to N.C. Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of N.C., other partners that helped with this project include the Rural Infrastructure Authority, North Carolina Community College System, Rutherford County Economic Development, Rutherford County and the Town of Spindale.