Vanguard will open another plant

April 20. Furniture manufacturing continues to make a come-back in North Carolina. Conover-based Vanguard Furniture plans to add 100 new jobs in Burke County in a $5.9 million expansion at its upholstery plant in Morganton.

“North Carolina continues to be the global leader for furniture manufacturing,” said Gov. Roy Cooper.

Family-owned Vanguard, with 680 employees, makes high-end case goods and upholstery. It has seven plants in North Carolina and Hillsville, Va., as well as showrooms in High Point and Las Vegas.

Andy Bray, Vanguard president, said they selected Morganton because of the “generational craftsmen with sawdust in their blood.”

“Many of our best artisans and craftsmen currently make the 30-mile trip to our Conover headquarters every day and are thrilled at the prospect of not having to commute as far,” he said.

The average annual salary will be more than $42,000. The payroll impact is expected to be more than $4.2 million.

A performance-based grant of $250,000 was awarded by the One North Carolina Fund.