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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Germany-Based Hermes Abrasives USA Expands Virginia Beach, Virginia, Operations

09/14/2023
Hermes Abrasives USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Germany-based Hermes Abrasives and a global leader in supplying industrial abrasive materials to support production finish,?plans to expand its operation in Virginia Beach,?Virginia. The $5.6 million project is expected to create 30 jobs.

The company will return its narrow belt production line to its?existing facility and integrate?new production lines, which was moved from Virginia Beach to Mexico in 2019. The location currently manufactures 60% of Hermes’ full product portfolio.

“Hermes Abrasives has proudly called Southeastern Virginia home for over 40 years. Though we have grown and changed with the times, we are excited about the potential expansion and development that we have planned over the next five years,” said Brad Sorgen, President of North American Operations. “With nearly $6 million in planned capital investment, Hermes is looking to increase its overall manufacturing footprint to better service its hundreds of customers throughout North America.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) worked with the City of Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads Alliance to secure the project and will support Hermes Abrasives’ job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP), which provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs in order to support employee recruitment and training activities.

As a business incentive supporting economic development, VJIP reduces the human resource costs of new and expanding companies. VJIP is state-funded, demonstrating Virginia’s commitment to enhancing job opportunities for citizens.

“The expansion of Hermes Abrasives’ flagship facility in Virginia Beach further demonstrates the increasing role Virginia is playing in reshoring manufacturing,” noted Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick. “We thank Hermes Abrasives for recognizing Virginia’s advantages and reinvesting in its operation as a long-term corporate partner in the Commonwealth.”

Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, Hermes Abrasives manufactures a variety of Coated and Bonded Abrasives and grinding tools. The company has major offices in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Germany, Singapore, China, Mexico, and the U.S. (Virginia).

“The expansion of an international manufacturer which located to Hampton Roads in 1981 speaks to the stability and growth of the manufacturing industry in Virginia Beach and the region,” added Douglas L. Smith, President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Alliance. “I am thrilled for Brad Sorgen and his team on this milestone and look forward to telling our international prospects the success story that is Hermes Abrasives.”

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