One of North Carolina’s least-populated counties received a big jobs announcement on Tuesday from a company based in China.
Eco King Solutions, a new subsidiary of China-based Zhejiang Kingsun Eco-pack, plans to invest $80.5 million in the western North Carolina town of Robbinsville to create 515 jobs at its first North American manufacturing site, the state announced Tuesday.
Eco King Solutions will manufacture disposable dishware such as bowls, plates and trays used in supermarkets and other food service industries. The company expects to hire 300 people in the next three years and then add the remaining 215 workers in a second phase, says Graham County Commissioner Lynn Cody.
“For Graham County, this is just a true blessing to bring these jobs to this county,” says Cody. “And it’s not just for Graham County. It’s for the surrounding counties, too. This is for the whole region of western North Carolina.
With a population of about 8,050 residents, Graham County ranks as the third-least populated county in the state. Its population has declined by about 800 residents in the past decade, according to the Census Bureau. Robbinsville, located about 90 miles west of Asheville, has a population of about 563 residents, about 190 less than it had in 2010.
Tuesday’s announcement should help change the county’s so-called brain drain, says Cody.
“People had to move away to find jobs,” says Cody. “We’re hoping this will bring some people back.”
The new jobs will pay an annual average salary of $46,707 a year, slightly above the current Graham County average of $46,628.
Zhejiang Kingsun Eco-pack was founded in 2008 more than 7,000 miles away from Robbinsville. It operates three high-capacity factories in China, where it employs approximately 1,200 people.
“We have been impressed by how welcoming Robbinsville, Graham County and North Carolina have been to our company and this important project,” said Ping Zhang, chairman of Eco King Solutions in a release. “We worked very hard to find the right location for our business to thrive. We know we found it right here due to the excellent workforce, quality of life and friendly business climate. We are excited to be a part of the community, and we are excited for our company to prosper here.”
The company also considered sites in Tennessee before choosing Graham County. Locating in Robbinsville will help the company grow its U.S. customer base and reduce shipping costs, according to the company.
The state will provide state incentives valued at about $4.5 million, including a Jobs Development Investment Grant of almost $2.9 million. The company will also receive about $1 million in workforce training and a $500,000 grant through the state’s building reuse program. Graham County and Robbinsville will add local incentives totaling at least $2.9 million, with Graham County putting in almost $1.6 million and Robbinsville more than $1.3 million over the next five years, says Cody.
Cody says he has spoken with the Chinese leaders of Eco King Solutions and found them friendly. He says they were able to converse without using someone to translate the language barrier.
“They’ve been very open-minded and supportive,” says Cody.
“Good news is good news,” he added.
Eco King Solutions will locate in the former Stanley Furniture building, an economic mainstay for the mountain community for decades until it closed in 2014, putting 400 people out of work.
Attracting Chinese direct investment comes amid continuing friction in U.S.-China trade relations as President Donald Trump threatens higher tariffs with the Asian nation.
The U.S. had a $101 billion trade deficit with China during the first five months of this year, with $148.5 billion in imports and $48.6 billion in exports, government data shows. The deficit totaled more than $1.3 billion over the past four years.
NOTE: This story has been corrected. A release from the governor’s office states Eco King Solutions will bring 515 jobs to Graham County.