Era Polymers Corporation, an Australian manufacturer, also located in New Zealand, specializing in polyurethane chemistry, will open its first industrial facility in the United States, creating 20 new jobs in Gaston County, North Carolina. The company plans to create 20 new jobs in the town of Stanley, investing $9.2 million.

The company, with headquarters in Sydney, Australia, produces a diverse line of polyurethane products and has a worldwide distribution network. The new manufacturing operation in Stanley, the first American plant for the company, will join four other production facilities operated by the company in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Strong sales growth in North America led the company to search for a new business location in the United States.

“Era Polymers has been conducting business within the USA for more than 15 years,” said George Papamanuel, President of Era Polymers. “It became a logical step for us to establish our own presence in the USA with an advanced manufacturing facility, to better supply and technically service our growing customer base. This world class facility is the ideal platform to support the next growth stage of our company.”

According to the local chamber of commerce, a performance-based grant of $50,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help facilitate Era Polymers’ move into Gaston County. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and to create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. In addition to creating and maintaining the 20 jobs, meeting a threshold of $8 million in investment is directly tied to the company’s OneNC agreement.

“Our community welcomes Era Polymers to North Carolina,” said N.C. Representative John Torbett. “Many people and organizations in our region came together to recruit this company and we stand ready to support them as they put down roots and grow here.”

The company’s products include polyurethane elastomers, foams, coatings, machinery, and toll manufacturing of polyurethane chemistries.

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