300 New Jobs Coming to Person County, NC, with POLYWOOD Expansion

July 26, 2021

graphic for POLYWOOD jobs and investment

Photo taken from POLYWOOD announcement in 2018

POLYWOOD, a maker of outdoor furniture made from recycled plastics, has announced plans to expand its manufacturing and distribution center located in Roxboro, NC, to include an additional 300 jobs and $61.6 million dollars in capital investment over the next five years.

POLYWOOD CEO, Doug Rassi, cited community support and quality workforce among the reasons for expanding in this location, “We are excited to expand our operations in North Carolina. The community has embraced POLYWOOD and we have been able to build an excellent workforce. We look forward to continuing our growth in the state and in Person County.”

POLYWOOD executive team, CEO Doug Rassi at center

The expansion of POLYWOOD’s Roxboro campus will create the largest manufacturing footprint in Person County, at nearly one million square feet.

POLYWOOD CFO, Matthew Shaw, stated that the new 500,000 square foot manufacturing facility will be located adjacent to their existing facility, “We will be building a high-quality facility that will create a beautiful campus for POLYWOOD in Person County.”

Existing 450,000sf POLYWOOD manufacturing and distribution center in Roxboro, NC

Headquartered in Syracuse, Indiana, Rassi founded POLYWOOD in 1990 with a vision to recycle milk jugs into furniture constructed of plastic lumber. Since that time, POLYWOOD has developed cutting edge technology to manufacture low-maintenance outdoor furniture from landfill- and ocean-bound plastics.

Graphic depicting POLYWOOD’s outdoor furniture as made from landfill- and ocean-bound milk jugs.

“Person County is thrilled to support POLYWOOD’s expansion in our community,” said Gordon Powell, Chairman of the Person County Board of Commissioners and Economic Development Commission member. “Not only do they have a great mission and product, they have been an excellent corporate citizen since first locating here in 2018. They bring quality jobs to our citizens and have found that our prepared workforce matches their needs.”

 Person County BOC Chairman, Gordon Powell, at POLYWOOD ribbon-cutting for current operations.

Of the 300 new jobs, salaries will vary based on position. The annual average wage once all positions are filled will be $47,120, exceeding Person County’s current average wage of $42,446. After a public hearing, the Person County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a performance-based incentive in the amount of $1.89M spread over 10 years to support POLYWOOD’s expansion taking place at the Roxboro facility. Combined with the company’s initial commitment from the 2018 announcement, POLYWOOD’s total planned investment in Person County will create 685 jobs and more than $94 million in tax base.

“Today’s announcement is the result of much great collaboration. POLYWOOD is a company that came to Person County just under three years ago seeking to contribute to the success of our community. They found that spirit reciprocated in Person County and have exceeded their initial plans from 2018. POLYWOOD has quickly become a top employer, as well as a household name. I look forward to working with them alongside our other local and state business support partners for continued growth,” said Economic Development Director, Sherry Wilborn.

Additional support for POLYWOOD’s expansion comes through a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) authorized by the state’s Economic Investment Committee for a potential reimbursement to the company of up to $3,008,700, spread over 12 years and through customized training offered from the North Carolina Community College System.

POLYWOOD employee assembling furniture in current facility

"We are enormously grateful for the partnership that exists between Polywood and Piedmont Community College (PCC)," said Dr. Pamela Senegal, President of Piedmont Community College. "As their workforce development partner, the growth and quality of the products they produce here in Roxboro has a multiplier effect on the community that cannot be understated. Polywood is an active community member, providing a work environment that enables financial stability and growth of those in their employ. We are excited about the additional growth levels they will attain here in Person County and look forward to partnering with them for decades to come."

Partners supporting this project in addition to Person County include N.C. Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the North Carolina General Assembly (Person County Delegates – Senator Mike Woodard and Representative Larry Yarborough), the North Carolina Community College System – Piedmont Community College, and Duke Energy. A press release issued by Governor Roy Cooper highlighting the state’s support of the project is available on the N.C. Department of Commerce’s website Press Releases page.

Person County is a part of the Research Triangle Region of North Carolina, with proximity to the Piedmont Triad Region, and is a border county to Virginia. Person County Economic Development serves as the primary contact for business and industry seeking to locate or expand in Person County. Contact us today for available buildings, sites, or other information.