Area Development
India-based textile company, Shri Govindaraja Textiles, plans to locate its operations center in Eden, North Carolina. The company plans to invest more than $40 million and create 84 jobs over the next two years in Rockingham County.

“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.”

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

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

As an incentive, North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Rural Infrastructure Authority Board awarded a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant 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 335 Summit Road that was formerly owned by Karastan, Inc.

“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 Lt. Gov. 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.”

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