Sumitomo Forest America will build in Archdale

ARCHDALE – Sumitomo Forestry America, headquartered in Addison, Texas, and its Japanese parent company has plans to expand their footprint in Archdale. 

Sumitomo Forestry is a comprehensive housing and wood products corporation who manufacturers, trades and sells timber, lumber, pulpwood, wood chips and building materials. The parent company in Japan has been in the wood business and has accumulated technologies and expertise related to wood for more than 330 years. 

Sumitomo Forestry plans to open a component manufacturing and distribution facility to distribute building materials, the Archdale location will service subsidiary residential home builder markets in the area. The manufacturing and distribution operations are expected to employee 129 people by 2027 with average wages of $45,782, exceeding the average county wage of $40,522. The company plans to invest approximately $19.5 million in real and personal property to include approximately 120,000 square feet of manufacturing and distribution space and will ultimately require the site to be served by rail. 

Sumitomo Forestry in 2018 acquired Crescent Communities, a nationally recognized, market-leading real estate investor, developer, and operator of mixed-use communities who has eight locations around the US and headquartered in Charlotte, NC. In addition to Crescent Communities having branded platforms for residential communities and commercial business lines, their industrial brand is AXIAL by Crescent Communities, and they will act as the developer of Sumitomo Forestry’s Archdale facility. 

The City of Archdale and Randolph County collectively offered up to $395,000 in local incentives to be paid over a four-year period to encourage Sumitomo Forestry to select Archdale for their manufacturing and distribution facility over two other potential locations in Maryland and Virginia. In addition to local incentives, the city and county also invested up to $250,000 to fund road infrastructure improvements. The company has been approved for more than $1.3 million in various state grants and training funds to include a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG), NC DOT Road and Rail, and NC Customized Training as well as funds in the amount of $665,000 collectively from the Golden Leaf Foundation and North Carolina Railroad. 

“We look forward to partnering with North Carolina on the development of this facility, which will not only help builders and developers with supply chain needs but will also contribute to the local economy,” said Atsushi Iwaskaki, President of Sumitomo Forestry America, Inc. “Randolph County, North Carolina offers the ideal conditions for our investment, including infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and a favorable business climate. We greatly appreciate the community’s warm welcome and will continue to share updates as the project progresses.” 

“We are honored to partner with the city of Archdale and Randolph County to develop this important build-to-suit manufacturing and distribution facility for Sumitomo Forestry,” said, Brendan Pierce, President of Commercial at Crescent Communities. “We look forward to working with local and state partners on this project, which will have a significant and positive impact on the local community. Crescent Communities has deep roots in the state of North Carolina, and the development of this facility underscores our company’s commitment to the growth and success of the area.” 

“The City of Archdale is honored to welcome Sumitomo Forestry to our community. Our appreciation goes to the many public and private entities that worked together over the past year to make this project a reality. I would like to offer a special thank you to the Randolph County Commissioners, Randolph County Economic Development Corporation, and the Archdale City Council for once again investing their time and energy for the citizens of our region says Lewis Dorsett, Mayor of Archdale. The City of Archdale stands ready, willing, and able to facilitate the process for Sumitomo Forestry in becoming one of our valued corporate partners.” 

“We are excited about the possibility of another significant economic development project for Randolph County, this one in Archdale. This project is also further indication that our area is getting global recognition,” says Darrell Frye, Randolph County Commissioner Chairman. “The Sumitomo Forestry’s facility will provide more job opportunities for our citizens and especially for our young families. It is also further proof of our successfully working together, County and City, for the benefit of our citizens.” 

“It has been a pleasure to work on this project alongside the Economic Development Partnership of NC (EDPNC), Sumitomo Forestry’s project consultant Womble Bond Dickinson, and development partner Crescent Communities over the past year. Sumitomo Forestry will be a great addition to Archdale, we welcome the company to our community and look forward to continuing our support as they transition into our existing industry program,” stated Crystal Gettys, Business Recruitment Director for the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation. 

“The Golden LEAF Board of Directors was pleased to support necessary public road infrastructure that will help bring 129 quality jobs to the City of Archdale in Randolph County,” said Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. “Golden LEAF supports projects that focus on increasing economic opportunity through job creation and capital investment, especially in rural counties such as Randolph County.” 

The Randolph County Economic Development Corporation (RCEDC) is a non-profit organization that works with industrial clients in the county. The EDC’s mission is to support a growing healthy economy so that residents have diverse quality job opportunities through the attraction of new businesses to the area and the retention and expansion of existing business and industry. The EDC is a proud partner of the NC Carolina Core.