Norafin Industries (Germany) GmbH has confirmed plans to build its first North American
manufacturing facility in Henderson County, NC. Norafin (Americas) Inc. will construct a 75,000 square foot building in tMills River, representing an $18 million investment which will lead to the creation of about 45 new jobs. The establishment of a North American manufacturing facility will allow Norafin to better serve existing clients, penetrate new markets, and provide a solid platform for continued future growth. The company has maintained a sales presence in Asheville over the past decade.

Norafin was established in 1985 in East Germany and has made Mildenau, Germany its headquarters since 1997. Norafin is a leading manufacturer of specialty spunlace nonwovens used in many technical applications. One such application is heat and flame resistance barriers used in protective apparel for firefighters.

“When you see the guys going out and attacking the fire, those suits often contain two or three layers of Norafin product,” states André Lang, President of Norafin. Other applications serving industrial, medical, composite and filtration markets require different, but equally as demanding, performance criteria.

The company plans to start site work in early 2017 and begin operations by the end of the year.