Asbury Graphite to invest $17M in Robeson

Aug. 16—LUMBERTON — Asbury Graphite of NC has selected Robeson County as the location of a graphene facility that plans to employ approximately 22 additional workers near Lumberton.

The company plans to invest $17 million at its current location off Lowe Road near the former Converse facility.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced yet another economic development project that selected the state for expansion on Tuesday morning. According to a statement, Asbury Graphite of North Carolina will expand in Robeson County, investing $16.9 million to enhance capacity at an existing facility in Lumberton.

Along with the investment, the company plans to add at least 22 new jobs paying average annual wages of nearly $44,000

"Asbury Graphite is yet another company that sees the value of doing business in our state," said Gov. Cooper in the statement. "When they could expand anywhere in the world, Asbury selected Robeson County, North Carolina because they believe in our quality of life, our infrastructure and our workforce."

"The expansion of Asbury adds obvious value in terms of direct job-creation and capital investment but could also generate new operational benefits for the region's manufacturing economy," according to Channing Jones, Executive Director of the Robeson County Economic Development.

The company, headquartered in New Jersey, provides "engineered solutions based on graphite and carbons," and has been operating for more than 125 years.

Asbury serves the automotive, steel, and other industries with carbon products. It maintains locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Netherlands.

The expansion project in the existing Lumberton facility will include "a new quality assurance lab, renovation for shipping and maintenance offices, and added employee amenities of showers, locker area, and restrooms," the statement noted.

Asbury will also repurpose and upgrade two large warehouses to add production capacity for a material that Travis Toth, plant manager for Asbury Graphite of North Carolina, called a next-generation material.

"This investment is a significant achievement for the Lumberton plant," added Toth.

"We're delighted to have Asbury Graphite increase their investment in rural North Carolina," said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. "Our economic development strategy is a commitment to providing a diverse talent pipeline for growing companies across all industries."

The North Carolina Department of Commerce led a team of partners in supporting Asbury Graphite's expansion in North Carolina. Altogether, the new positions will have an average annual salary of $43,864, exceeding Robeson County's overall average annual wage of $37,649. The new jobs have the potential to create an annual payroll impact of more than $965,000.

A performance-based grant of $65,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help with Asbury's expansion to North Carolina. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and to create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All One NC grants require matching participation from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.

"We welcome this expansion to Robeson County," said N.C. Sen. Danny Earl Britt Jr. "This expansion is an investment in their operations and our people, who stand ready to support the company's next phase of growth."

"As a corporate citizen, Asbury knows the benefits of doing business here," said N.C. Representative Charles Graham. "We appreciate the diligent work of the local and state partners that helped bring these additional jobs and investments to our community."

Joining the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina were key partners in the project that included the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, Robeson Community College, Robeson County, North Carolina's Southeast, Robeson County Committee of 100 and Robeson County Office of Economic Development.

Wixie Stephens, Robeson County Commissioner Chair, said the creation of 22 new jobs with an annual income significantly above the county medium shows economic growth for Robeson County. "Robeson County is truly moving in a positive direction economically and we look forward to our continued partnership with Asbury Graphite in their exciting expansion."

The Robeson County Economic Development Commission is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the interests of Robeson County's economy. It works closely with municipal, county, regional and statewide partners and allies in embracing opportunities for job creation and economic investment through support for arriving and expanding companies.

For additional information, visit www.robesoncountyoed.org

A public-private partnership headquartered in Elizabethtown, N.C., NC's Southeast links business leaders with county governments in seeking to "provide strong economic development leadership in southeastern North Carolina through innovative marketing and collaborative regional initiatives that will support the creation of new jobs, generate capital investment and secure new business locations."

Member counties include Anson, Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Hoke, Lenoir, Montgomery, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, and Wayne. For additional information, visit www.ncse.org.