Source: Governor's Office Press Release, March 17

RALEIGH – Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that REPI, a producer of liquid colors and additives, will locate a new office, lab and production facility in Gaston County.  The company plans to create 27 jobs and invest $5.8 million during the next three years in Gastonia.  The project was made possible in part by a $75,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.

“North Carolina is attracting an increasing number of companies, not just from other states, but from around the world,” Gov. Perdue said. “They know this is a terrific place to do business, where our investments in education have built a highly skilled workforce, perfectly suited for the sort of R&D and production work that REPI performs, and a business climate that fuels success.”

REPI develops and produces high performance liquid colors, additives and dosing systems for applications in the polyurethane (automotive, footwear, furniture) and thermoplastic sectors (soft drink bottles, cosmetics).  Based in Italy, REPI has been present in the U.S. for 20 years, covering the polyurethane market through a distributor based in Maine, and active in five Northeastern States.

REPI LLC, a fully owned subsidiary of REPI, was established in Charlotte in 2003 with commercial offices, labs and warehouses and now needs to start production on site as a global company selling worldwide. REPI will establish a new Western Hemisphere Headquarters in Gastonia, conducting research and development, production and administrative services to serve their expanding markets.  The new facility will also accommodate future expansion.

Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $41,586 plus benefits.  The Gaston County average annual wage is $33,956.

“We are increasing our commitment to the North American market with the start-up of a state of the art manufacturing facility, and we are especially proud to make such a step during these difficult years for the global economy,” said Dr. Ferruccio Angiolini, President and founder of REPI.  “With the production running in the new factory, REPI is willing to move to other fields besides polyurethane, supplying companies working in the thermoplastic field.”

The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state.  Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds.  These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches.

North Carolina continues to have a top-ranked business climate.  Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state works aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain its workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.

Through use of the One NC Fund, more than 50,000 jobs and $9 billion in investment have been created since 2001.  Other partners that helped with this project include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, N.C. Ports, the Gaston County Economic Development Commission, Electricities of N.C., Gaston County and the City of Gastonia.

For more information about REPI, including job opportunities, go to www.repi.it/Home/tabid/36/language/en-US/Default.aspx.