MORGANTON, N.C. — A Conover-based furniture company is expanding west, while also creating new jobs.
On Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper praised Vanguard Furniture Company's plans to add 100 new jobs with a $5.9 million expansion to Morganton. This will add on to the family-held company's 680 employees, who work out of seven facilities in Conover and in Hillsville, Virginia, along with showrooms in High Point and Las Vegas.
“North Carolina continues to be the global leader for furniture manufacturing,” said Gov. Cooper. “Vanguard’s decision to expand in our state affirms that our quality of life and skilled workforce can provide a thriving business climate that brings success.”
The new plant in Morganton will be the eighth facility for Vanguard, focusing on case goods, finishing, and upholstery manufacturing with warehouse and distribution operations. Salaries for the new jobs will vary by position, with an average annual pay of $42,536.
“This plant has a rich history and is an ideal footprint for making custom furniture. The building is on one level, has high ceilings and will allow Vanguard to efficiently warehouse materials and ship finished furniture,” said Andy Bray, president of the company. “We selected Morganton because the local community has hundreds of generational craftsmen with sawdust in their blood. In fact, many of our best artisans and craftsmen currently make the 30-mile trip to our Conover headquarters every day and are thrilled at the prospect of not having to commute as far. This is a classic win-win. We create jobs with expanded capacity and shortened lead-times for our dealers and their customers.”
Vanguard is also getting a boost thanks to a performance-based $250,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, which gives financial assistance to local governments to help attract investment and create jobs. Companies don't get the money upfront, and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify. Grants also require matching participation from local governments, and any award is contingent on that condition being met.