JEFFERSON-Ashe County Job Development, Inc, (ACJD) and American Emergency Vehicles (AEV) have reached an agreement for the company to purchase the former Sara Lee facility (old Hanes Plant) and associated property in Jefferson from ACJD.
There are presently no state or local grants associated with the purchase of the facility, but there is a purchase price incentive based on the number of jobs created within the facility over the next three years.
AEV is a subsidiary of the REV Group, a Milwaukee-based corporation that owns numerous specialty vehicle manufacturing operations nationwide, including ambulance, fire apparatus, buses, and recreational vehicles. ACJD is a local, non-profit agency that supports economic development opportunities in Ashe County.
Top SearchesAEV has been leasing the property from ACJD for the past several years for chassis storage purposes, and now will be converting the building for use as a regional parts distribution warehouse operation.
The distribution center will provide aftermarket parts support for all of the REV manufacturing concerns and will initially employ 20 people, with expectations for growth over the next several years.
“The acquisition of the old Hanes plant provides a significant enhancement to the overall footprint of AEV in the Ashe community, and will help solidify our position as a major player within the REV organization,” according to a statement issued by AEV. “We couldn’t have come this far without our committed workforce and the support of our local government. We are very excited about what the future has in store for us.”
The property was first acquired by ACJD in 1996 when Sara Lee Kint Products ceased operation in Ashe County. It was sold to Leviton Manufacturing as part of a major expansion later that same year, then reacquired in 2009 when Leviton downsized its local operations.
It was later used by Gates Rubber for production and by AEV for chassis storage. A portion of the property has been leased to Blue Ridge Energy for a Community Solar Garden.
With AEV’s expansion into the former Gates property, the acquisition of the Sara Lee plant provides an extensive footprint for additional growth.
“We are pleased to support the expansion and growth plans of AEV,” said Chris Robinson, president of ACJD. “Our purpose in acquiring and holding such a facility was to build the economic infrastructure of Ashe County and allow for new jobs to be created. To be able to assist a home-grown company makes this opportunity especially rewarding, and we look for great things from AEV in the near and long-term future.”
There are presently no state or local grants associated with the purchase of the facility, but there is a purchase price incentive based on the number of jobs created within the facility over the next three years.
AEV is a subsidiary of the REV Group, a Milwaukee-based corporation that owns numerous specialty vehicle manufacturing operations nationwide, including ambulance, fire apparatus, buses, and recreational vehicles. ACJD is a local, non-profit agency that supports economic development opportunities in Ashe County.
Top SearchesAEV has been leasing the property from ACJD for the past several years for chassis storage purposes, and now will be converting the building for use as a regional parts distribution warehouse operation.
The distribution center will provide aftermarket parts support for all of the REV manufacturing concerns and will initially employ 20 people, with expectations for growth over the next several years.
“The acquisition of the old Hanes plant provides a significant enhancement to the overall footprint of AEV in the Ashe community, and will help solidify our position as a major player within the REV organization,” according to a statement issued by AEV. “We couldn’t have come this far without our committed workforce and the support of our local government. We are very excited about what the future has in store for us.”
The property was first acquired by ACJD in 1996 when Sara Lee Kint Products ceased operation in Ashe County. It was sold to Leviton Manufacturing as part of a major expansion later that same year, then reacquired in 2009 when Leviton downsized its local operations.
It was later used by Gates Rubber for production and by AEV for chassis storage. A portion of the property has been leased to Blue Ridge Energy for a Community Solar Garden.
With AEV’s expansion into the former Gates property, the acquisition of the Sara Lee plant provides an extensive footprint for additional growth.
“We are pleased to support the expansion and growth plans of AEV,” said Chris Robinson, president of ACJD. “Our purpose in acquiring and holding such a facility was to build the economic infrastructure of Ashe County and allow for new jobs to be created. To be able to assist a home-grown company makes this opportunity especially rewarding, and we look for great things from AEV in the near and long-term future.”
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