India-Based Textile Company To Create 84 Jobs In Rockingham County | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Raleigh, N.C.     Governor Pat McCrory and North Carolina Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced today that Shri Govindaraja (SGR) Textiles will be locating its textile operations in Rockingham County. The company plans to invest more than $40 million and create 84 jobs over the next three years in Eden.

    "We're committed to increasing the number of jobs through international cooperation," said Governor McCrory. "With a strong labor force and proximity to cotton-growing regions and ports, Shri Govindaraja Textiles will succeed in North Carolina."

    SGR Textiles was incorporated in 1999 as a part of the Shri Govindaraja group, which is a part of the larger Sri Jayavilas group. It is one of the largest spinning groups in India, with 1.1 million spindles and 35,000 employees.

    "The company will not only buy North Carolina cotton, but will produce the combed yarn here as well," said Secretary Decker. "Innovative companies like SGR Textiles are bringing new machinery that will be put to good use by our talented workforce in Rockingham County."

    The company has two manufacturing units in Pulivendula, Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh and Aruppukottai, Tamil Nadu. The company has a capacity of 50,400 spindles in each of its units installed with the latest modern machineries. This helps the traditional textile company save labor costs and achieve better operational efficiency. The company manufactures combed yarn ranging from 20 to 100 counts in cone form.

    "SGT has decided to set up a state-of-the-art yarn manufacturing facility in Eden after an extensive search and comparative study that we undertook amongst nine different states and various counties," stated Ramkumar Varadarajan, managing director of SGR Textiles. "The input cost advantage and the skilled workforce present in Eden will aid in our successful implementation and operation of the project. I sincerely thank the support offered by the State Commerce Department, Eden City officials, US Commercial Service officials and the Consul General at the American Consulate in Chennai, India for really helping us expedite the search, selection and commencement process."

    Salaries will vary by job function, but average annual payroll is estimated to be nearly $2 million plus benefits.

    The NC Department of Commerce's Rural Infrastructure Authority Board awarded a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to the City of Eden to assist SGRTEX with up to 50 percent of building up fit costs. The company will locate in an 180,000-square-foot building at 325 Summit Road that was formerly owned by Karastan, Inc.

    "This is welcome news for Rockingham County," said Senator Phil Berger. "Shri Govindaraja Textiles' decision to expand will bring needed jobs to our community and help continue our rich tradition of manufacturing high-quality textile products."

    "It is great to see manufacturing coming back to North Carolina, and I am proud to see our rich textile heritage on the rise once again," said Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest. "There are numerous reasons this company chose North Carolina including our abundant agricultural and human resources, our existing manufacturing facilities, our low energy costs and our competitive tax structure."

    "We are pleased to welcome SGR Textiles to Eden," said Eden Mayor Wayne Tuggle. He added, "Eden has a rich textile heritage and it is gratifying to see this company invest in our community and provide much-needed jobs."

    Partners that helped with this project include: The N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community College System, Rockingham Community College, Rockingham County Partnership for Economic & Tourism Development, Rockingham County and the City of Eden.

    For more information about SGR Textiles, including job opportunities, visit http://sgrtex.com/


    Contact: Crystal Feldman
       govpress@nc.gov