
Appalachian Gear Company awarded NC Building Reuse Grant
Governor Roy Cooper announced 22 grant recipients through the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority on Oct. 21. Appalachian Gear Company and the City of Kings Mountain were chosen as a grant recipient this year.
This $50,000 grant will support the reuse of a 10,000-square-foot building, where Appalachian Gear Company, LLC, plans to expand its current manufacturing operations to a second facility. The company, a cut-and-sew operation specializing in alpaca fiber garments, plans to create 12 jobs, and invest $486,000 in this project.
“I am delighted that Kings Mountain will be receiving one of the rural infrastructure authority grants from the state. The important and much-needed grant will continue the positive trajectory that this region is enjoying,” said Senator Ted Alexander.
Appalachian Gear Company announced its relocation to a new manufacturing facility in April 2021 and has seen such tremendous growth that the company is expanding to a second facility. This second facility will be located in downtown Kings Mountain, which will enable AGC to do its own garment and research and development in-house.
“Textiles has always been the fabric of our society. It’s in our blood!" said Kings Mountain Mayor Scott Neisler. "So, it is gratifying to see that Appalachian Gear has found a niche in the ever changing textile climate. We welcome them to Kings Mountain and hope it will result in them being very successful.”
Appalachian Gear Company's founders John Gage and Mike Hawkins aren't new to Kings Mountain. They designed, built, and ran a textile dyeing and finishing operation from 1991-2002, and are excited to come back home and grow their business.
"Appalachian Gear Company is so excited to once again be a part of the Kings Mountain and Cleveland County Community, a community in which we have a long history. It is so important for city and county governments to support small manufacturing companies, especially in the current economic times. We are so appreciative that Kings Mountain, Cleveland County, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina have such an accomplished and energetic team that was absolutely the spark plug for Appalachian Gear Company’s expansion," commented John Gage, Appalachian Gear Company.
"The Building Reuse Grant is a cornerstone in our effort to not only bring Award-Winning Apparel Manufacturing back to the U.S., but also to become one of the only vertically integrated Outdoor Lifestyle Brands in the U.S. that starts with a raw material, produces a fabric with our patent pending process, and then produces the finished garments and Outdoor Gear that we sell directly to consumers," he said.
Appalachian Gear Company is an outdoor lifestyle company specializing in American-made performance apparel and gear. They combine 100 years in the textile industry and have won consecutive editor’s choice awards from Backpacker Magazine for their All-Paca Fleece Hoodie, made from 100% Alpaca Wool.
“Although Kings Mountain-Cleveland County, NC just recently became home to Appalachian Gear Company, we are thrilled to hear that the company is already proceeding with an expansion of their local operations," said NC House Speaker Tim Moore. "The ongoing growth of the company has spurred innovation and new job growth in our community, and we are grateful to them for their continued investment.”
“Cleveland County is proud to be home to Appalachian Gear Company and congratulates them on their second facility in Kings Mountain. Not only does this company provide award winning products, but high-quality jobs for our citizens. We thank them for choosing to continue to invest in our community,” added Johnny Hutchins, Economic Development Liaison for the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners.
This $50,000 grant will support the reuse of a 10,000-square-foot building, where Appalachian Gear Company, LLC, plans to expand its current manufacturing operations to a second facility. The company, a cut-and-sew operation specializing in alpaca fiber garments, plans to create 12 jobs, and invest $486,000 in this project.
“I am delighted that Kings Mountain will be receiving one of the rural infrastructure authority grants from the state. The important and much-needed grant will continue the positive trajectory that this region is enjoying,” said Senator Ted Alexander.
Appalachian Gear Company announced its relocation to a new manufacturing facility in April 2021 and has seen such tremendous growth that the company is expanding to a second facility. This second facility will be located in downtown Kings Mountain, which will enable AGC to do its own garment and research and development in-house.
“Textiles has always been the fabric of our society. It’s in our blood!" said Kings Mountain Mayor Scott Neisler. "So, it is gratifying to see that Appalachian Gear has found a niche in the ever changing textile climate. We welcome them to Kings Mountain and hope it will result in them being very successful.”
Appalachian Gear Company's founders John Gage and Mike Hawkins aren't new to Kings Mountain. They designed, built, and ran a textile dyeing and finishing operation from 1991-2002, and are excited to come back home and grow their business.
"Appalachian Gear Company is so excited to once again be a part of the Kings Mountain and Cleveland County Community, a community in which we have a long history. It is so important for city and county governments to support small manufacturing companies, especially in the current economic times. We are so appreciative that Kings Mountain, Cleveland County, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina have such an accomplished and energetic team that was absolutely the spark plug for Appalachian Gear Company’s expansion," commented John Gage, Appalachian Gear Company.
"The Building Reuse Grant is a cornerstone in our effort to not only bring Award-Winning Apparel Manufacturing back to the U.S., but also to become one of the only vertically integrated Outdoor Lifestyle Brands in the U.S. that starts with a raw material, produces a fabric with our patent pending process, and then produces the finished garments and Outdoor Gear that we sell directly to consumers," he said.
Appalachian Gear Company is an outdoor lifestyle company specializing in American-made performance apparel and gear. They combine 100 years in the textile industry and have won consecutive editor’s choice awards from Backpacker Magazine for their All-Paca Fleece Hoodie, made from 100% Alpaca Wool.
“Although Kings Mountain-Cleveland County, NC just recently became home to Appalachian Gear Company, we are thrilled to hear that the company is already proceeding with an expansion of their local operations," said NC House Speaker Tim Moore. "The ongoing growth of the company has spurred innovation and new job growth in our community, and we are grateful to them for their continued investment.”
“Cleveland County is proud to be home to Appalachian Gear Company and congratulates them on their second facility in Kings Mountain. Not only does this company provide award winning products, but high-quality jobs for our citizens. We thank them for choosing to continue to invest in our community,” added Johnny Hutchins, Economic Development Liaison for the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners.