The purpose of this grant is to provide funding to the Town of Black Mountain for public water infrastructure that will provide additional capacity to the town’s water system and serve a site in the Black Mountain Commerce Park to accommodate the location of Avadim Technologies, Inc., a life science company currently located in Asheville. The company has developed and manufactures topical products that reduce hospital-acquired infections, improve athletic performance, and help with care of chronic wounds. It plans to construct a new 100,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Black Mountain and invest approximately $20.4 million to increase production to meet demand for its products. It will create 550 new jobs by 2020 with an average annual wage of $50,816, plus benefits, compared to the Buncombe County 2015 average of $39,728. Golden LEAF funds will be used to support some costs of public water infrastructure, which are part of a larger water and sewer infrastructure project. The new infrastructure will have the ability to serve the company and others that might locate in the industrial park and will provide additional capacity to the town’s water system.
