Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Caye Home Furnishings, an international manufacturer of custom home furniture, will open a new plant in Taylorsville. The company plans to invest $1.4 million and create 128 jobs during the next three years. The announcement was made possible in part by a $250,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“North Carolina, known worldwide for producing fine furniture, continues to be a leading player in this vital manufacturing sector,” Gov. Perdue said. “Our state’s skilled workforce and superb quality of life continue to attract growing companies like Caye Home Furnishings.”
Caye Home Furnishings LLC, headquartered in Mississippi, manufactures living room furniture and case goods including products marketed under the Stratford and Stratolounger name brands. The company has five manufacturing facilities in Mississippi, Florida, two in China and one in Star, N.C., which opened in August 2008 and employs 52 workers.
Caye has experienced significant growth in the Northeast region of the United States. The new Taylorsville plant will assemble furniture products to serve that growing market. The new jobs will pay an average annual wage of $30,142, not including benefits, which is higher than Alexander County’s average annual wage of $27,300.
“Our Caye team is excited about the opportunity expand our North Carolina operations. We appreciate the cooperation and assistance of the state of North Carolina and Alexander County Commissioners in making this a reality,” said Karl Leo, Caye’s chairman of the board. “We also thank the Alexander Economic Development Corp. and Taylorsville Savings Bank, who have partnered with Caye and its affiliate in this venture.”
“We chose to locate in this area because of the outstanding workforce and business environment,” added Wayne Stewart, Caye’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. “Our company continues to grow even during these challenging economic times and we hope to have the plant operational within the next 30 to 45 days.”
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.
North Carolina continues to have a top-ranked business climate. Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state will work aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain our workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.
“This is a great day for Taylorsville and Alexander County as we create 128 new jobs for the region,” said state Sen. Steve Goss (D-Alexander, Ashe, Watauga, Wilkes). “North Carolina is faced with tough economic times, so it’s critical to continue making investments that will grow jobs in our state, and I thank Caye Home Furnishings for their commitment to our community.”
“Alexander County welcomes Caye Home Furnishings’ $1.4 million investment and the 128 jobs it will create,” said Rep. Ray Warren (D-Alexander, Catawba). “We look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership that will help position our state well when the global economy turns around.”
Through use of the One NC Fund, more than 40,000 jobs and $7 billion in investment have been created since 2001. Other project partners include: the N.C. Department of Commerce and Alexander County.
For more information about Caye Home Furnishings, go to: http://www.cayefurniture.com/.
For information on employment opportunities contact the N.C. Employment Security Commission’s Alexander County Office, located at 606 Seventh St. SW in Taylorsville, phone (828) 632-4631.