Community and business leaders from Mocksville and Davie County tour new Comfort Bilt distribution center at Southpoint Business Park in Mocksville.
Larson Manufacturing, the largest manufacturer of storm doors and storm windows in the United States, has opened a new 130,000 SF distribution center adjacent to its Comfort Bilt Windows and Doors manufacturing facility in the SouthPoint Business Park in Mocksville.
Comfort Bilt began operations in Mocksville in 1999 with one production line. Today, nine different product lines are manufactured by 200 dedicated employees residing in Davie and surrounding counties, and the shared 194,000 SF facility had become a growth-limiting factor for both divisions.
Relocating the distribution center increases distribution space from 70,000 SF to 130,000 SF which will increase the company’s ability to service its East Coast customers and will expand its manufacturing capacity explained Troy Bunker, director of sourcing and logistics at Larson Manufacturing, during a grand opening celebration facilitated by the Davie County Chamber of Commerce. “That will be a 40 percent increase in our manufacturing capacity at that facility and a 90 percent increase in our storage capacity here, so we are really set up to succeed into the future. This is a really nice opportunity for Larson.”
“The new distribution center will allow Larson to optimize the picking layout and increase efficiencies in all areas,” said Dale Albright, eastern operations manager for Larson. “This relocation will set us up for future expansion and allow Larson to more effectively utilize its premier east coast location.”
The manufacturing facility will be up-fitted and reconfigured to improve efficiency and productivity and will begin producing a line of storm doors with retractable screens this fall.
Community and business leaders from Mocksville and Davie County tour new Comfort Bilt distribution center at Southpoint Business Park in Mocksville.
“With this move, and the added square footage it brings, we have the unique opportunity to focus on the efficiency of the entire Comfort Bilt operation and not just a single line or department,” said Michael Barron, Comfort Bilt plant manager.
A $212,000 grant from the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority awarded to the Town of Mocksville last October is supporting the renovation. The company plans to invest over $500,000 to expand production at the facility, creating as many as 50 new jobs over the next two years.
Comfort Bilt became the first tenant of the SouthPoint Business Park on Hwy 601 after Larson, its parent company, headquartered in Brookings, South Dakota, began seeking an East Coast location.
According to Barron, the company desired a location in a growing area near an interstate, with competitive property prices, good utilities, and a skilled labor force where it could develop a good working relationship with city and county government. It found all of that in Davie County.
Comfort Bilt and the SouthPoint Business Park have helped fuel the manufacturing boom that has provided Davie County with hundreds of needed jobs as well as an increased tax base.
“There’s something pretty special about hosting the biggest company in the world at something,” said Terry Bralley, president of Davie County Economic Development. “Larson and Comfort Bilt have demonstrated the leadership it takes to not only become number one but to stay number one.”
“For logistics, there is probably no better location on the eastern seaboard than the one you are in today. We are just so excited to see you grow and to have you grow with us in this community. You represent so much to our citizens to whom you’ve provided stable jobs in both good times and bad. I wish you much success today and in the future.”
About Larson Manufacturing
Larson Manufacturing is recognized for making homes better with a market-leading selection of storm doors, high-efficiency interior and storm windows, a patented porch window with retractable screens and other door and window innovations. For over 60 years, the company has placed a high value on its employees as part of a long-standing commitment to product excellence and customer satisfaction. LARSON is headquartered in Brookings, SD, and has additional plants in Lake Mills, IA; Mocksville, NC; and Salt Lake City, UT. The company maintains its own distribution centers and a national field sales team. LARSON products are widely available from home improvement retailers and dealers in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.LARSONdoors.com.
