Commissioners pass resolutions to welcome new industry to county

Today, the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed three resolutions that will lead to an Italian company creating 110 new jobs and investing $28 million in the county. 

Earlier in the day, a global manufacturer of household components, Grupporeco, announced plans to build its new plant in Kinston in the Highway 70 Industrial Park. Its new subsidiary in Lenoir County, RECO U.S. Inc., will allow product development and manufacturing closer to its U.S. clients. 

The company chose to expand its business in Lenoir County after considering China, Southeast Asia, and U.S.  locations, including South Carolina. 

“To me, anytime we can entice a company from overseas in Italy who is looking at China, Asia, and other areas to come here … we are doing something right,” Lenoir County Board of Commissioners Chair Linda Rouse Sutton said immediately after the board approved the resolutions that authorized the sale of land where RECO will be located. 

Grupporeco has been a market leader in engineering and manufacturing household appliance components for almost six decades. Originated and having its headquarters in Italy, and based in Italy and Poland, the company produces and distributes coated dishwasher baskets, steel wire and tube components, aluminum tubing, and components for major household appliance companies. 

Today’s resolutions by the Board of Commissioners exercised the option for the purchase of the W.T. Parrott property in the industrial park for a purchase of $882,660 and then selling it back to RECO for $782,660. 

Lenoir County Manager Michael James said today’s development is important, not just to Kinston and Lenoir  County, but to Eastern North Carolina. 

“We are proud to welcome this new industry to our community,” James said. “This is another major step towards  making this part of North Carolina an economic hub of the state.” 

Lenoir County Economic Development Director Mark Pope said the county will see RECO become operational within a year. 

“They want to be operational in Quarter 3 of next year, so there’s a lot of building and a lot of things that need to be done very quickly,” Pope said. “Hopefully, we’ll be creating jobs at the end of next year.”