A long-vacant furniture factory in Robbinsville is getting a new lease on life — and bringing hundreds of jobs to Graham County.
The announcement was made Tuesday afternoon in Robbinsville, where officials unveiled plans for EcoKing Solutions, a global packaging company based in China. The company will invest $80.5 million to renovate the former Stanley Furniture plant, which closed in 2014. The facility will produce biodegradable paper trays and dishware, and is the company’s first manufacturing site in North America.
According to news releases from Graham County and the governor’s office, the project is expected to create 300 jobs, with the potential to expand to 500. Once fully operational, the plant will support an annual payroll of more than $14 million.
The 588,000-square-foot facility, vacant for more than a decade, will undergo a $21 million retrofit to prepare for production. Construction is set to begin right away.
“This marks a monumental win for our county,” said Meggan Smith, chair of the Graham County Board of Commissioners. “We’re bringing hundreds of family-sustaining jobs to our residents and breathing life back into our industrial spaces.”
Gov. Josh Stein welcomed the investment, saying, “We welcome EcoKing to western North Carolina, where it will find a welcoming business climate and a talented workforce.”
The effort was led by the Mountain West Partnership, part of the Southwestern Commission, and reflects nearly a decade of work to attract industry back to the region following declines in the timber and furniture sectors.
Robbinsville Mayor Shaun Adams, who lost his job when the Stanley plant shut down, called the announcement deeply personal: “I am so pleased that the plant is returning to life — which will have a positive impact on this community.”
