Rainier Industries, Tukwila, Wash. — a manufacturer of tents, awning and screen systems, yurts, industrial fabric products, and commercial graphics products — has acquired a 220,000-square-foot (ft2) former John Boyle Co. manufacturing facility in Statesville, N.C., from specialty and technical fabrics manufacturer Glen Raven Inc., Glen Raven, N.C.

Rainier initially is investing $2 million to $3 million to refit the plant with new machinery and equipment for the manufacture of retractable awnings and screens, and expects to employ 25 workers at the plant in the first year. The company notes that the acquisition will enable it to provide improved East Coast service and delivery times, and plans to begin shipping product from its new facility in the first quarter of 2013.

"This facility will be state of the art - capable of producing all our existing and future product lines," said Scott Campbell, president, Rainier Industries. "Our future growth is targeted at this plant, and we expect that employee count to rise steadily as some other product lines expand east."

Rainier, founded in 1896, has grown an average of 17 percent annually since 1984, when Campbell took over the business. The company's 140,000-ft2 manufacturing plant in Tukwila employs some 200 workers.

Following its acquisition of the John Boyle property, Rainier acquired The SEC Group, Wilsonville, Ore., a producer and manager of tent product lines for the special events and tenting industries.

November/December 2012