RALEIGH, N.C. - Furniture maker SBA Home has selected Mocksville, North Carolina, as the site of its first North American furniture production facility. The company said it will invest more than $70 million to establish the plant, and will create 250 jobs in Davie County.
The news was announced Dec. 17 by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.
SBA Home is the largest division of SBA Grupe UAB, a Lithuanian conglomerate that exports furniture to 50 countries worldwide. The company currently has more than 3,000 employees in a four manufacturing facilities and distribution center in Lithuania. The company said the new location will be a 500,000-square-foot production facility for the manufacture and distribution of residential furniture products to meet the demand of its U.S. customer bases.
“We are excited to launch our journey in the United States, starting in North Carolina — a state renowned for its dynamic business environment and exceptional opportunities for globally growing companies,” said Jurgita Radzevičė, CEO of SBA Home. “With its wide talent pool, excellent infrastructure and logistics, support from the State [sic], combined with SBA Home’s modern manufacturing expertise and humancentric organizational culture, we are confident this venture will create high-quality jobs and give positive impact to the region. We believe it further bolsters partnership between Lithuania and the United States, paving the way for innovation and shared success.”
SBA said it expects production to start at the new facility in October 2025.
“SBA Home has made a great decision to enter the U.S. market in Davie County,” Governor Cooper said. “With more than 800 furniture companies, North Carolina’s reputation as the furniture capital of the world attracts growing manufacturers that need a world class workforce to meet the demand of their global customers.”
New positions created by the company include manufacturing and warehousing positions, as well as administrative and managerial roles. The announcement noted the new jobs could create a potential payroll impact of more than $13.3 million each year for the region.
SBA Home is getting a Job Development Investment Grant from the state that authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company up to $1.42 million over 12 years. In turn, the investment is projected to grow the state’s economy by $435.8 million during those years. The state will distribute payments to the company after verifying that it has met its incremental job creation and investment targets, according to the governor’s office.
Partnering with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, Davidson-Davie Community College, Davie County, Davie County Schools, Davie County Economic Development and the Town of Mocksville.
Earlier this year, SBA applied to the Lithuanian State Patent Bureau and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to register four trademarks in the United States, which could be used to name a new furniture factory. The U.S. registrations applied for are SBA Home, SBA Home US, SBA Home North Carolina, and SBA Home South Carolina.
Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.