GATESVILLE – A Texas-based manufacturer is expanding its business to Gates County.

On Monday, the Gates County Board of Commissioners and the Northeast Commission jointly announced that The Marco Company of Fort Worth, Texas is locating a new distribution site in Gatesville. Initially, the company will employ up to five people in its warehouse, assembly and distribution facility.

The company sells and distributes merchandising solutions for the retail industry, including specialty shelving and fixtures that are used to display food and other merchandise in grocery and department stores.

The relocation is expected to begin within the next few weeks as east coast distribution is diverted to the Gatesville location, a 24,000 square foot warehouse that will be leased from Gates County Farm Service.

“We look forward to The Marco Company’s move into Gates County,” stated county manager Toby Chappell. “This county has well-skilled people and many of them drive to Virginia for work. If we can continue to build our business base in Gates County, then we can also build our retail, office and medical space. Gates County can grow while maintaining the charm and quality of life that comes with a small-town way of life.”

Vann Rogerson, President/CEO of North Carolina’s Northeast Commission stated, “The Marco Company’s decision to locate into North Carolina’s Northeast region during tough economic times shows that the ease of doing business in the northeast region is attractive to many companies. As we work to diversify the economy and increase the capacity for new jobs, we will continue to help new companies locate into the region.”

According to Chappell, the company will ship products to the Norfolk, Va. port where they will be transported, by truck, to Gatesville. There, light assembly will take place after which the product will be repackaged and distributed up and down the East Coast.

“Due to growing transportation costs, The Marco Company was looking to develop a strategic location on the Eastern Seaboard and Gates County was that choice,” Chappell said. “The Northeast Commission – particularly Vann Rogerson, Ray White and Anita Johnson – helped us tremendously in landing this new business and our county commissioners were instrumental in locating a site.”

Chappell also offered thanks to the fledging Gates County Chamber of Commerce for helping with the project.

Outside of the initial employment, Chappell said this venture has the opportunity to open up other jobs, such as those within the trucking industry.

The Marco Company was started in 1984 by Darrell and David Cooper, who had a vision of creating a company that would provide innovative merchandising solutions for the retail industry. Currently, the company includes over 500 employees and one million square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space.

North Carolina’s Northeast Commission is dedicated to increasing the standard of living for citizens in its 16 county region through tourism, industrial and business development. The 16 counties that comprise the regional Commission are: Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington.

For more information about the North Carolina’s Northeast Commission, contact us at www.ncnortheast.com.