Pennsylvania materials manufacturer to locate its new hemp processing plant in Robeson Co., North Carolina.
According to Hemptoday, BIOPHIL Natural Fibers of Phoenixville, PA, a manufacturer of organic raw materials, will locate its newest hemp fiber processing facility in Lumberton, NC. The plant will turn out hemp hurd and fiber for a wide range of applications. The $10.9 million investment will create 41 new jobs with an average salary of $40,122 per employee.
“North Carolina is the perfect place for BIOPHIL as our economy is deeply rooted in agriculture and manufacturing. With their commitment to sustainability and renewables, we believe this company will find great success in Robeson County,” Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina states.
"North Carolina is the perfect place for BIOPHIL as our economy is deeply rooted in agriculture and manufacturing. With their commitment to sustainability and renewables, we believe this company will find great success in Robeson County.”
- Governor Roy Cooper, North Carolina
Founded in 2019, BIOPHIL processes hemp stalk to produce fiber and hurd as a sustainable alternative to the nonrenewable, non-biodegradable, and otherwise environmentally harmful products such as petroleum-based plastic, concrete, tree wood for construction materials, fiberglass, tree pulp for paper and packaging products, synthetic fibers for woven and nonwoven textiles, industrial absorbents, and other raw materials.
The Pennsylvania materials manufacturer currently operates a hemp processing line comprising repurposed textile equipment and decortication (initial separation of hemp stalk into hurd and fiber) technology at its main facility near Philadelphia. The new plant will also house decortication as well as parallel processing lines that will further clean, refine, and cut hurd and fiber to client specifications.
North Carolina is the sixth largest hemp producer in the U.S., with the state’s farmers harvesting 1,850 acres last year, according to the first-ever report on the crop from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), released in February. This success has pushed hemp forward as a rotation crop. As a result, one more exciting and beneficial side effect is that hemp is now an economically viable replacement for declining tobacco fields.
“We are very excited to work in North Carolina. We enjoyed working with local and regional businesses in Lumberton and surrounding areas during our diligence process as well as our farmers throughout North Carolina over the past two growing seasons, and we look forward to expanding these relationships,” Marcel Dabdoub, CEO of BIOPHIL Natural Fibers, shares.
"We are very excited to work in North Carolina. We enjoyed working with local and regional businesses in Lumberton and surrounding areas during our diligence process as well as our farmers throughout North Carolina over the past two growing seasons, and we look forward to expanding these relationships.”
- Marcel Dabdoub, CEO of BIOPHIL Natural Fibers
Another incentive for BIOPHIL’s decision to locate its newest facility in the Tarheel state is the potential $125,000 performance-based grant it could receive from the One North Carolina Fund. The fund provides financial aid to local governments to attract business investment and create jobs. Companies must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment.
Spearheading this initiative, The North Carolina Department of Commerce led a team of partners in supporting BIOPHIL's North Carolina startup. These included the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, Robeson Community College, Robeson County, North Carolina's Southeast, Robeson County Committee of 100, Robeson County Office of Economic Development, and the City of Lumberton.
N.C. State Senator Danny Britt concludes, "This is another great win for Robeson County. We are ready to fill these new positions and to support BIOPHIL's expansion to our community."
"This is another great win for Robeson County. We are ready to fill these new positions and to support BIOPHIL's expansion to our community."
- N.C. State Senator Danny Britt
With the continued expansion of hemp as a potentially lucrative crop for farmers and an environmentally edifying alternative to the current versions of plastics, fibers, and construction materials, more and more companies will be looking to join the ranks of forward-thinking companies such as BIOPHIL. And with states like North Carolina aggressively courting those progressively-minded businesses to bolster their local economies, the hemp industry's growth continues to move on an upward trajectory.
