An editorial in the Winston Salem Journal commented positively this week on the investment in grants and incentives that helped bring the new Gildan Activewear manufacturing facility to Mocksville. Gildan Activewear is investing $112 million to bring 290 jobs to Mocksville. Groundbreaking will occur soon and production is scheduled to begin in 2015.
From the Winston Salem Journal editorial: “It’s also nice to see textile and furniture manufacturers beginning to return some production to the United States because of rising labor and productions costs in Asia and Central America. Davie County’s skilled labor force and its access to transportation routes for the East Coast make it attractive for returning or expanding manufacturers.
“Textiles are part of the fabric — no pun intended — of the Triad and Davie County. To provide state grants and pay incentives to make sure the industry brings its good jobs to Davie County is an investment we think is worth making.”
According to a report in the Winston Salem Journal, Michael Walden, an economics professor at N.C. State University, said Gildan’s decision to invest in the U.S. is “very encouraging and significant.”
“Due to rising wages of foreign workers and concerns about quality control, the cost advantage of Asian textile factories over U.S. factories has narrowed considerably in the last five years,” Walden said. “This move is an example of a revaluation of the benefits of a foreign location — with the conclusion being that those benefits are now significantly reduced.”
A report in the Salisbury Post includes a quote from Terry Bralley; “While Rowan still has Parkdale Mills and Tuscarora Yarn, Davie hasn’t had a textile manufacturing plant for years” Bralley said.
Davie County’s skilled workforce, excellent workforce development programs at DCCC and our location on Interstate 40 just a few miles away from I-77 and I-85 makes this an ideal location for manufacturing.
Please join us in saying “Thank You” to Gildan Activewear for investing in our community.