Air dome manufacturer Yeadon Fabric Domes LLC is moving its headquarters and a factory to Fayetteville from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Gov. Josh Stein and the Fayetteville/Cumberland Economic Development Corp. announced on Tuesday.
The plant and headquarters are to bring 72 jobs to Fayetteville by 2029 with wages averaging $47,724, vs. Cumberland County’s average of $47,175.
The number of jobs and average pay are specified in incentive agreements made this month between Yeadon and the Fayetteville City Council and Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. The company plans to spend $4.6 million on the project, the announcements say.
The plant is to be built on 14 acres at the end of Aviation Parkway by the Fayetteville Regional Airport. The factory itself will be an air dome, with new domes made inside, Robert S. Patton, Jr., the executive vice president of the Economic Development Corp., told the county commissioners on Monday.
The factory air dome will be 72 feet tall and cover 50,000 square feet, the governor’s news release says.
Air domes are large inflatable structures used to create indoor climate-controlled spaces over outdoor swimming pools, ice rinks, sports fields and other large outdoor areas for a variety of uses. As an example, Patton showed the County Board of Commissioners and City Council a picture of the Atrium Health Dome at the practice fields of the Carolina Panthers professional football team in Charlotte.
Yeadon’s Instagram account shows one of its domes being used as a weather station in what appears to be a wintry setting.
“Yeadon Fabric Domes have been installed in more than 30 countries for customers including several professional football teams, University of Pennsylvania and Marquette University,” the governor’s news release says.
“Yeadon Fabric Domes is thrilled to be expanding our operations to Fayetteville. Throughout the process, it has become clear that Fayetteville is the perfect place to build our manufacturing facility and continue to produce world-class air-supported domes,” Yeadon CEO Matt Meija said in a news release. “We’re grateful for the support of Governor Stein, and our many partners throughout North Carolina. We look forward to joining the community and expanding Yeadon’s 55-year legacy in Cumberland County.”
Yeadon was considering locations in Fayetteville, Minnesota and Georgia, Patton told the City Council on Feb. 24, when the Council approved its share of incentives to attract the company.
The city, county and the state government all contributed incentives to persuade Yeadon to come here. These are:
- $63,948 from the City of Fayetteville, to be paid in installments over five years
- $88,170 from Cumberland County, to be paid in installments over five years
- A performance-based grant of $225,000 from the state’s One North Carolina Fund
Yeadon’s website says the company was founded in Canada and it opened its American office and factory in Minneapolis in 2013. Its website lists offices in Guelph, Ontario and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
“Cumberland County is excited to welcome Yeadon Fabric Domes,” said Board of Commissioners Chairperson Kirk deViere in a news release. “This project will not only create high-quality jobs for our residents but also strengthen our position as a hub for innovative manufacturing.”
“This investment, the jobs they are creating, and the average salary will positively impact our economic region,” Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin said. “We will continue to emphasize and leverage our tremendous workforce and commitment towards building a Pro Business Ecosystem.”
Senior reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at 910-261-4710 and pwoolverton@cityviewnc.com.
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