Textile manufacturer Warm Company to expand its existing textile plant and distribution center

The Warm Company, textile manufacturer dedicated to providing innovative quality products for the quilting, crafting, and sewing industry as part of its expansion plan would be investing a $4.9 million to expand its existing textile plant and distribution center off Old Sunset Hill Road which will create at least 10 new jobs.

County commissioners will hold a public hearing Oct. 6 on a proposal to offer the company financial incentives of up to $64,688 over five years if the Lynnwood, Wash.-based company meets its projected investment of $2.4 million in real property and $2.5 million in equipment.

According to a county legal notice, the proposed expansion would create at least five permanent jobs and five temporary ones, with average wages exceeding $32,500 a year plus benefits. But Ron Stafford, The Warm Company’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, said that more hiring is likely.

Commissioners will also hold a public hearing Oct. 6 for a proposed rezoning that will allow The Warm Company which makes nonwoven textiles and quilt batting to expand onto 2.15 acres of land it owns along Corn Mountain Road.

Stafford said that the expansion is being driven by growing demand for its products from both over-the-counter and industrial customers. Besides craft and fabric stores, he said batting made by the company can go into bedding, furniture and aerospace components, as well as insulation and filtration devices.

The Warm Company has manufacturing and distribution facilities in Hendersonville and Elma, Wash., allowing the company to cover the entire country and ship to overseas markets.

That patented “Warm Window” fabric grew to be a top seller at fabric stores. The company went on to introduce a needle-punched product called “Warm & Natural,” which has helped make The Warm Company the world’s top producer of cotton quilt batting.

Textile manufacturing in the South declined sharply in the 1990s and 2000s as cheaper labor drew jobs overseas. But Stafford said that nonwoven textiles were somewhat immune from that trend. The nonwovens have always had a strong foothold in the United States, because it’s light and bulky and the freight costs to go offshore would offset the costs of labor and raw materials. So it’s never really suffered as much, especially in the Southeast.

Under the county’s proposed incentives package, The Warm Company would receive no more than $17,616.50 the first year and a maximum over five years of $64,688. The actual amount would be based on the company’s total taxable investment in real and personal property, as well as the number of jobs created.

Public hearings on the incentives and the proposed 2.15-acre rezoning will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6 in the commissioners’ meeting room at the Historic Courthouse.

Warm company also provides fiber and fabric processing services for manufacturers in various industries including apparel, sporting goods, upholstery, bedding and aerospace.