WHITSETT, N.C. - Ready-to-assemble home furniture manufacturer Prepac Manufacturing will invest $27.1 million in a new 260,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Guilford County, North Carolina. The facility will create 201 new jobs.

 

Prepac Manufacturing, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, has grown to become one of the largest producers of RTA furniture, supplying most of North America’s major online retailers. The new facility will help the company expand its markets and expedite shipments to consumers located along the entire eastern seaboard.

 

"When we started evaluating potential locations for our new east coast factory there were several good options for us to consider” said Jim Mathison, President of Prepac Manufacturing. “Ultimately, we chose North Carolina and specifically Guilford County due to several key factors including the availability of a highly skilled workforce, easy access to major markets, and compelling State and County resources to help ensure that this project is successful given these uncertain times."

 

Prepac Manufacturing project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Over the course of 12 years, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $376.3 million. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $2,106,000, spread over 12 years. 

 

Prepac Manufacturing’s JDIG award is contingent on final approval of all local government incentives associated with the project.

 

The company was acquired by Canadian private equity firm TorQuest Partners late July.

 

Founded in 1979, Prepac began as a shelving manufacturer, selling its products through traditional brick and mortar retailers and hardware stores.  In the late 1990s, Prepac was an early mover into the online retail space and began drop-shipping its products directly from its manufacturing facility to the end-customer's doorstep. Today, the company sells furniture products exclusively through the big online retailers.