GOV. EASLEY ANNOUNCES UNIBOARD TO CREATE 104 JOBS IN CHATHAM COUNTY
One N.C. Fund Grant Helps Bring $142 Million Investment to Moncure 

RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley today announced that Uniboard Canada Inc., an internationally known manufacturer of pressed wood products, is building a plant in Chatham County.  The company plans to invest $142 million to recondition an existing factory and build a new facility, creating 104 new jobs during the next three years.  The project was made possible in part by a $250,000 One North Carolina Fund grant. 

“North Carolina is a long-time leader in the wood-products industry,” said Easley.  “Every job like this that we can reclaim in the weak national economy is critical and we are pursuing them aggressively.”

Uniboard Canada, headquartered in Laval, Canada, and a subsidiary of Pfleiderer AG in Germany, manufactures decorative laminates, panels and related products.  The company will purchase and refit an existing particleboard plant in Moncure, preserving 146 existing jobs, and construct a new $120 million fiberboard factory on the 400-acre site.

Salaries for the 104 new positions will vary by job type, but the average annual wage will be $45,303 not including benefits, substantially more than the Chatham County average annual wage of $29,588.

“This is a significant step in Uniboard's strategic plan to strengthen our leadership in engineered wood panels in eastern North America and become the supplier of choice with our customers,” said James Hogg, president and CEO of Uniboard.  "The acquisition of the Moncure facility is a reflection of Uniboard’s long-term commitment to our customers, especially on the East Coast, and solidifies our offering in laminate flooring through our sister company Pergo, located in Raleigh.” 

“We're pleased to see Uniboard make this investment in Chatham County.  Our superb quality of life and the strength of our workforce make this an excellent and obvious choice for them,” said House Speaker Joe Hackney (D-Chatham, Orange, Moore).  “I'm pleased that the state and county worked together to be sure that Uniboard's needs will be addressed as they get underway.”

“This project not only brings more than 100 new jobs and new investment to our county, it preserves nearly 150 existing jobs,” said State Sen. Bob Atwater (D-Chatham, Durham, Lee).  “This is a perfect example of a successful local government and private sector partnership.” 

The One North Carolina Fund assists the state in industry recruitment and expansion by providing financial assistance to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state.  One North Carolina Fund grants require and are contingent upon local matching funds.  Through the use of this fund, more than 30,000 jobs and $6 billion in investment have been created since 2001.

Other partners that helped make this announcement possible include the N.C. Department of Commerce, Chatham County, the Chatham County Economic Development Commission, Progress Energy and the N.C. Community College System.

For more information about the company, including employment opportunities, visit the company’s web site at www.uniboard.com.

 

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