NEWS

Ekornes ASA is the largest furniture manufacturer in Norway and sells products all over the world. The Morganton plant, which will assemble components shipped from abroad, is scheduled to start production in early 2012. Construction is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2011.

“This is an exciting project that will have a lasting impact on the region, and we’re on a fast schedule to finish construction and open the plant,” said Roger Hendrick, president of Hendrick Construction. “We’re proud to be building Ekornes’ first manufacturing facility in North America.”

Hendrick Construction is renovating a 100,000-square-foot warehouse to create the space for Ekornes. About 90,000 square feet will be used for manufacturing, and the remaining space will be converted to offices, employee break areas and a showroom.

Ekornes plans to create 58 jobs and invest $1.3 million during the next three years in Morganton. Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $30,464 plus benefits.

The announcement was heralded by Burke Development Inc., a private-public partnership charged with moving Burke County forward in the realm of business and economic development.

“We are excited to welcome another successful, high-end furniture company to our community,” said Mike Watts, Board Chair of Burke Development, Inc.

Burke Development Inc. partnered with Red Rock Developments of Columbia, S.C., to manage the project. The architect is PWAi Architecture of Charlotte.

“We’re retrofitting an underused building for an offshore company’s furniture assembly operation,” said Paul Woody, owner of PWAi Architecture. “The project creates a productive use for the building, as well as employment opportunities for Burke County.”