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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

British-Based Hardide Coatings Invests $7.25 Million In Henry County, Virginia, Manufacturing Facility

01/22/2015
Hardide Coatings, Inc., a manufacturer of advanced surface coatings, will invest $7.25 million to establish its first Virginia operation, creating 29 jobs in Henry County.

“Martinsville-Henry County was chosen after a long and detailed evaluation of numerous locations in different states, and we believe the county made a compelling economic and business case,” said Philip Kirkham, Hardide Coatings CEO. “It is a community that supports advanced manufacturing and will provide us with an environment from which we can grow our existing and projected customer base in North America. I have been particularly impressed with the way all the different parties and agencies involved have worked together and coordinated their activities to give us every possible assistance in making this important decision for Hardide.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation and the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing to secure the project for Virginia. The Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation was also instrumental in the project. Governor McAuliffe approved a $150,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist Henry County with the project. The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission approved $170,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds.

The company is also eligible to receive state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. The company will also be eligible to receive sales and use tax exemptions on manufacturing equipment. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

The company was formed in 2000 by a team of United Kingdom led venture capitalists to develop and commercialize a process that was invented by scientists in Soviet Russia at Moscow State University and a leading laboratory in the area of advanced materials. In 2003, the company headquarters and United Kingdom manufacturing facility was established in Bicester, Oxfordshire. This new facility will service existing and new customers in the oil and gas, aerospace, flow control and advanced engineering markets.

Governor Terry McAuliffe said, “Creating jobs in the advanced manufacturing sector is critical as we work to build a new Virginia economy. I am thrilled to announce these new jobs, which pay well above the average prevailing wage for the region. I had the opportunity to meet with company officials last summer in the United Kingdom. about this project,and we are honored to welcome Hardide Coatings to the Commonwealth’s growing roster of international companies.”

“This is a big win for rural Virginia as the region continues its economic rebound,” said Maurice Jones, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “Hardide Coatings is a growing global company, and this significant investment to expand its manufacturing presence to serve worldwide customers is a great testament to the strong workforce and infrastructure in place in Martinsville-Henry County and the Commonwealth as a whole.”

Hardide Coatings is the leading global innovator and provider of advanced tungsten carbide-based coatings that significantly increase the life of critical metal parts operating in abrasive, erosive, corrosive and chemically aggressive environments.

“CCAM is delighted that Hardide Plc, an advanced manufacturer in surface engineering and coatings, has selected Virginia to be its U.S. Surface Coatings Center,” said Joseph Moody, President and Executive Director of CCAM. “CCAM has been in contact with Hardide since January 2013 and has worked for two years with the Commonwealth to secure this investment. Hardide’s technology is used in multiple industries, including oil & gas, aerospace, defense and automotive, and the company’s technology and industry focus align well with CCAM’s focus. We are excited that Hardide selected Virginia over other locations and look forward to working with Hardide to explore potential collaborative surface coating research & development projects at CCAM here in Virginia.”

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