Brazilian manufacturer building first U.S. plant

Latin America’s largest maker of nonwoven plastic materials will build its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Statesville, N.C., investing $115 million and creating 90 jobs during the next three years. Providencia USA Inc. and its Brazilian parent company received encouragement to expand operations into the U.S. in the form of a $56,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, which provides assistance to local governments to attract business projects. Providencia CEO Herminio V.S. de Freitas chose North Carolina “based on the state’s excellent quality of life, skilled workforce, pro-business environment and its location central to our target markets.”