Albaad USA, an Israeli-based manufacturer of wet wipes and feminine hygiene products, is expanding its operations in Reidsville, North Carolina, adding 302 jobs and investing $45 million to produce additional product lines.
“We continue to build on a great workforce, culture and community that supports advanced manufacturing jobs in Rockingham County,” said Gidi Tenne, plant manager for Albaad. “This merging of technology and a strong, creative workforce is the foundation of our success and we look forward to continued growth in the future.”
Albaad USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Albaad Holdings, headquartered in Israel. The company maintains manufacturing facilities in Israel, Germany, Poland, and the United States. Its leading products include baby wipes, cosmetics and household wipes, and tampons.
“International manufacturers appreciate North Carolina’s outstanding business climate and our strong focus on education and workforce training,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. “Today’s announcement is more proof that North Carolina is the place for companies from around the globe to grow and succeed.”
In 2004, state Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland was part of the team that recruited the Israeli company to North Carolina. “It’s been a great pleasure to watch their growth over the years, and we congratulate Albaad as they expand and add jobs once again,” Copeland said.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina led the state’s support for the company’s expansion.
Albaad will add a variety of positions, including engineers, technicians, and production and logistics personnel. Salaries for the new positions will average $38,300, which is higher than the current Rockingham County average wage of $34,620.
Albaad’s expansion in Rockingham County will be supported, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG). Over the course of the grant’s 12-year term, the project will grow the state’s economy by an estimated $810 million. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $3,688,200, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur after the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.
“I am deeply grateful to Albaad for its loyalty, commitment and ongoing contributions to Rockingham County. It is a testament to the high quality of our local workforce that this company, which could have gone anywhere, chose to expand its operations in Reidsville,” said state Sen. Phil Berger. “I am also grateful to Gov. Roy Cooper for his very wise decision to nominate Tony Copeland as his Secretary of Commerce and I’m very proud of the productive working relationship we have on economic development.”
Partnering with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the EDPNC on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, Duke Energy, Rockingham County, the city of Reidsville, The Rockingham County Center for Economic Development, Small Business and Tourism, and the City of Reidsville Economic Development Department.