Episode 24: Meet Prepac Manufacturing

Prepac, a North American designer and manufacturer of drop ship, ready-to-assemble home furniture, has selected Guilford County for its new US manufacturing center. Prepac will invest $27 million in capital investment and create more than 200 new jobs.

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This episode is sponsored by Truliant Federal Credit Union

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Today’s host is Brent Christiansen, the Chamber of Greensboro’s President and CEO.

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00:58 - Brent welcomes listeners to the podcast and introduces guest Jim Mathison, CEO of Prepac Manufacturing, which just chose Guilford County as their US location as they expand outside of Canada. They will be bringing 201 jobs with them and this is a great win for the community!

 

2:33 - Brent asks Jim what the drivers were that led to making the decision to choose Guilford County as Prepac’s expansion location. Jim explains that there are lots of criteria to meet, like availability of skilled workforce, cost of operations, and inbound/outbound freight, to name a few. It really came down to incentives and North Carolina won out on the assistance offered.

 

4:45 - Brent asks Jim about the building that Prepac chose. Jim explains that the building had all the basic necessities needed and was key to their decision to move here. 

 

5:47 - Jim explains that Prepac has been around for a while and the company is very familiar with the High Point Furniture Market, which allowed them to get to know the surrounding area and understand the infrastructure around to support their business operations. 

 

6:50 - Prepac isn’t necessarily the brand name that consumers recognize, so Brent asks Jim to explain how customers actually interact with Prepac’s furniture products. Jim says they operate under several different brands and drop-ship directly to consumers, and over a decade ago, moved only into the e-commerce space. Prepac’s brands are included in almost every big retail operation that sells home furnishings, such as Wayfair, Home Depot, Walmart, and Target.

 

9:00 - Brent asks Jim to speak to his own professional background. Jim calls himself a “displaced engineer,” having a background in electronics engineering and software development, but he has a lot of professional experience in business development and e-commerce, which drew him to work for Prepac. 

 

10:58 - Brent asks about Prepac’s ambitious plans to open in February 2021, the work of which will include renovations to the building, moving operations, and hiring. Jim explains this expansion as a critical piece of their growth, so they have a lot of energy behind the move. The hiring process has already started, utilizing hiring services and training programs to source local talent for their staff positions. Jim also credits other local businesses and suppliers for offering their help in getting Prepac established and is grateful for such an outpouring of assistance.

 

15:24 - How has business been for Prepac in the pandemic? Jim explains that everyone in the furniture industry has been challenged to keep up with the demand of customers with the effects and shutdowns in the supply chain, but opening the factory in Guilford County will be a huge help in expanding their capacity.

 

17:15 - Jim speaks to his experience in North Carolina, seeing the operations pre-COVID and now in the pandemic, and is still impressed with how the community has been able to pivot and still provide support during this time. He and his team are excited to expand into Guilford County!

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Check out Prepac here: https://www.prepacmfg.com/

WFMY News 2 announcing Prepac coming to Guilford County: https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/prepac-manufacturing-to-bring-200-plus-jobs-to-guilford-county/83-9450fbad-a26f-4928-a14b-392e42e2ed35

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