The purpose of this grant is to provide funding to Catawba Valley Community College to support the acquisition of new training equipment for its Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC). MSC provides workforce training, prototyping, product testing and development, and other services to new and existing businesses in the textile industry in North Carolina. MSC expects to provide training to 73 employees associated with an expansion at Richelieu Corporation. Richelieu Corp. is expanding its sock manufacturing capabilities at its plant in Burke County, and plans to create 205 new jobs there by the end of 2018. In order to meet these training demands, MSC needs to acquire new equipment that can be used to make high pattern dress socks and other products. MSC has also identified demand for similar training using the equipment to upgrade skills for at least 40 additional technicians at other companies in the region. MSC will also use the new equipment to continue efforts to help entrepreneurs develop new businesses and/or services by training individuals how to program, maintain and run the machinery to make products. Golden LEAF funds will be used for equipment.
