A global maker of non-woven specialty fabrics headquartered in Brazil has announced it will invest $18 million to expand its manufacturing facility in High Point and create as many as 22 new jobs.
Fitesa, whose North American headquarters is in Simpsonville, South Carolina, will install two new lines of machinery at its leased 204,172-square-foot building to make specialty fabrics for the health care industry. In September 2020, Fitesa acquired Fiber Dynamics, a High Point-based maker of meltblown and carded non-wovens for disinfectant wipes, filtration, face masks, automotive, medical, hygiene and other industrial wipes. Fitesa will continue making specialty fabrics to support the hygiene and health care industries at the High Point location.
The company’s facility is at 200 S. West Point Avenue, adjacent to High Point’s small-scale manufacturing target area and within one of the city’s three federally designated Opportunity Zones. High Point City Council previously authorized up to $342,720 in performance-based incentives. The new jobs will pay between $15 and $19 per hour depending on experience.
Fitesa currently employs 80 in High Point.