Commonwealth Brands Inc. said today that it expanding its plant in Reidsville by adding a product line for its cigarette tubes.
The company said it would create 35 jobs this year and spend $6.7 million on the expansion.
It is eligible for economic incentives with the city of Reidsville and Rockingham County. It has received a $100,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, which the governor can provide to existing companies expanding their businesses or new companies to the state.
Commonwealth, based in Bowling Green, Ky., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco Group of England. It has expanded its work force by at least 24 jobs in the past 2½ years to 224 at the Reidsville plant.
The company makes discount brands USA Gold and Sonoma, as well as cigarette tubes and blended and fine cut tobaccos.
The tubes currently are being made in Canada. The tubes made in the Reidsville plant will be sold in Canada and the United States.
The new positions will pay an average annual wage of $37,571, not including benefits. The average annual wage in Rockingham County is $30,472.
Frank Howell, the vice president of manufacturing for Commonwealth, said that the cost of doing business in Reidsville was the top factor in its decision to expand there, along with a cooperative relationship with the local union.
"The expanded production operation will bring further investment into our existing facility and create great job opportunities for local residents," Howell said.
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