Near the end of the winding road that runs through Piedmont Triad West Corporate Park, work continues on a $1.7 million, 55,00-square-foot facility where an Arkansas-based company will soon open its doors with 45 new jobs.

Next door to Central States Manufacturing Inc., Harvest Time Bread is investing $4.5 million on a 70,000-square-foot building where it plans to create 38 jobs.

Those are just two examples of new and existing Surry County companies that are investing millions of dollars in expansion plans that will increase Mount Airy and Surry County’s tax base while creating desperately needed new jobs.

It’s the same story at a former Kentucky Derby Hosiery plant where Catalina Tempering is renovating a 67,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will employ 20 people. The California-based company said it chose the Mount Airy location to bolster its presence on the Eastern coast.

Two other formerly vacant Kentucky Derby Hosiery plants are the new homes for Pilot Mountain-based Granite Tactical Vehicles Inc., which plans to invest $2.5 million in the plants and hire close to 200 workers.

Todd Tucker, president of the Surry County Economic Development Partnership, worked diligently with state and local officials on each of the projects. Tucker said that in each case representatives from the public and private sector collaborated to make the projects happen. Tucker believes that the economy is slowly beginning to turn the corner. Surry County’s jobless rate has decreased the last two months from a peak of 13.6 percent in February.

“We’ve been fortunate to have the facilities to market,” Tucker said in a recent interview. “In one sense you don’t want to have that many buildings empty. But in another it has helped us because we’ve had an inventory to promote to our clients.”

Tucker said that he continues to field inquiries in his office. As the county and its four municipalities continue to demonstrate collaboration and show a commitment to extending public utilities and other infrastructure, Mount Airy and Surry County will continue to be on the short list of several companies looking for a new home, he says.

“We were lucky that we seemed to get several good licks at one time last fall,” Tucker said. “Hopefully we can continue that.”

By Andy Matthews
Editor
Amatthews@yadkinvalleynews.com
www.yadkinvalleynews.com
June 21, 2010