Plant expansion begins at AFG Wipes -
Construction began Monday at Albaad USA’s AFG Wipes plant in Reidsville, as the non-woven textiles manufacturing plant begins expansions that will include 70,000 additional square feet of space, new equipment, and eventually, new hires.
Physical expansions will grow the facility by nearly 50 percent, while new equipment will have the capability to increase output by an estimated 25 percent.
The John S. Clark Company, a general contracting firm out of Mount Airy, began clearing land Monday morning for the additional warehouse space, which will take the plant’s total square footage to 220,000.
Albaad USA originally began production in Reidsville in the summer of 2004 with about 100 employees. It has since doubled its workforce.
The need for more room at the only United States location of the Israel-based Albaad is in answer to an increased workload and anticipated growth. AFG Wipes received a $350,000 state grant this spring to add 95 employees to its workforce in the coming years. The growth is also needed to alleviate use of rented storage space in Eden, according to Human Resources Manager Charles Milks.
Later this summer, the plant plans to add a clipper machine to complement the two existing machines that are used to cut the large sheets of fabric that eventually become wet wipes. The new clipper machine should be operating by the fall, Milks said.
With the addition of the new equipment, the first round of hiring to fill some of the newly-needed positions will take place around the end of this year or the beginning of next year, Milks said.
Those interested in employment with the company should contact the Employment Security Commission. Milks said all hiring is done through that agency and not on site at the plant.
Operations manager Jim Wilson said the new equipment would likely enable 25 percent more production. The anticipated increase in output means the likelihood of new business. Milks said the manufacturing facility is in talks with several potential customers, though he didn’t want to specify who.
“We’ve got a lot of irons in the fire,” he said.
And as Albaad USA expands its presence in Rockingham County, a new chief executive officer has come aboard. William Thomas recently stepped in to replace outgoing CEO Dan Mesika.
“It’s really an exciting time,” Milks said.
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