Rutherford County Economic Development Commission |
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A Resource for Local Industry Issue: 17, April 2009 |
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As a follow up to our Forum on Alternative Energies back on March 19, the EDC will be attending and exhibiting at the WINDPOWER Conference and Expo next week in Chicago. WINDPOWER is the largest annual wind conference and exhibition in the world featuring over 15,000 attendees and over 1,200 exhibitors. Each year, wind energy professionals gather at this event to learn about the latest industry developments and technologies, review new products and services in the expansive exhibit hall, and network with leading industry decision makers. ( http://www.windpowerexpo.org/) One of our local companies, 3TEX, will also be attending the event. At the show they will be meeting with various key companies that are interested in how 3TEX’s materials can help them in their alternative energy production. Their main focus is two fold in energy. 1) is helping to produce components that help scrub the air from coal power plants and 2) use of various 3D materials in the production of wind turbine blades. If your company is planning to attend this show, please let us know so we can connect and perhaps work in tangent with one other on new market opportunities.
Rutherford County will be sharing a booth as part of the North Carolina Industrial Crescent Group. This group is made of 5 counties including: Rutherford, McDowell, Burke, Caldwell and Wilkes. 
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Founded In: 1996 President: Kennedy C. O'Herron
Number of Employees: 44
Parent Company: N/A Location: 208 Laurel Hill Drive, Rutherfordton Manufactures at Local Plant: 70,000 sq feet in Rutherfordton, NC - producing 3D woven and 3D braided materials for use in the alternative energy, military, armor, aerospace and industrial markets. Other Plant/Facility Locations: None
Previous or Current Expansions: Started in 30,000 sq feet in 2000. Expanded into an additional 40,000 sq feet in 2004. No other future plans for expansion right now.
Website: www.3TEX.com
3TEX is a leader in 3D braided, woven composite materials and composite products. 3TEX’s core technology was developed in the 1990's at NC State University's College of Textiles. Under a NASA sponsored research program at the University's Mars Mission Research Center, Dr. Mansour Mohamed, founder of 3TEX , and his colleagues invented a unique method of weaving three-dimensional fiber architectures and studied their properties and applications. Today, 3TEX is a leader in providing these 3D materials to manufacturers who use the materials in the alternative energy, military, aerospace and industrial markets. |
"We are excited to be in Rutherford County, which is close to many of our suppliers and provides an employment pool that we can draw from. While 3TEX does not do traditional textile production it is great to have a skilled labor pool that can quickly learn the unique aspects of 3D material and help change the face of the textile community in North Carolina."
- Andrew Watson, 3TEX - Chief Operations Officer
Photo of facility in Rutherfordton, NC 
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The Economic Development Office is here to serve you as best we can. Please let us know if we can assist you in your own expansion possibilities, customer relocations, workforce data, etc. Thomas L. Johnson, CEcD, HLM Kerry Giles Mary Taylor Brenda Watson 142 E. Main Street, Suite 100 Forest City, NC 28043 828.248.1716 (w), 828.248.1771 (f)
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