LEXINGTON, N.C. - Particleboard production has begun at Austrian wood product giant Egger's massive new $700 million plant in Lexington, North Carolina.
Egger first announced the plant in 2017, with construction beginning a year later. Around 280 employees work at the plant, with plans to add 120 more over the next six years and an additional 370 over the next 15 years.
The 4.5 million-square-foot plant spreads across more than 200 acres in an industrial park. Egger says the state-of-the-art facility will help it serve its North American customers. Egger's panel products are used in the manufacture of a variety of items, including laminate flooring, cabinetry, residential and commercial furniture, and casework.
“The planned production location in Lexington, North Carolina, will play a decisive role for Egger’s increasing presence on the North American market for wood-based materials, as well as ensure product availability and delivery speed for our customers,” says company executive Walter Schiegl.
The company will benefit from a $1.9 million grant recently awarded to Davidson County from the Department of Commerce. The grant - which has been matched with an additional $1.9 million in local funds - will allow for a stormwater retention pond to be built near the plant. The pond has the potential to support the expansion of other businesses in the region.
Founded in 1961 and headquartered in Tirol, Austria, the family-owned company employs approximately 8,200 people and has 17 plants located across Europe. Egger produces an extensive product range of wood-based panels, including particleboard, MDF and OSB, as well as timber products, for use in the furniture, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, flooring and other wood products markets. It generated sales of more than $2.74 billion (EUR 2.34 billion) in the 2015/2016 fiscal year.
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