After an exhaustive search, Bulldog Pipe selected Aberdeen as its second manufacturing facility. Based in Mountain Grove, Missouri, Bulldog Pipe, LLC is a veteran-and family-owned manufacturer of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe for the telecommunications, power utility, electrical, oil, and gas industries.
The company will lease an existing vacant 60,000-square-foot industrial building at 165 Taylor Street. Bulldog Pipe plans to invest approximately $2.7 million and has committed to creating 26 new full-time jobs in Aberdeen at an average annual wage of $50,675 during their first year. Over five years, the company expects to grow to 55 full-time employees and make a total capital investment of over $6.8 million.
“My family and I live in Moore County, so as we started to think about expanding and adding another manufacturing facility, it made the best sense to choose a location in Moore County,” said Brandon McIntosh, owner of Bulldog Pipe.
On Feb. 16, Gov. Roy Cooper announced the Town of Aberdeen was awarded a $125,000 Building Reuse Grant from the NC Department of Commerce to help offset the $523,000 Bulldog Pipe expects to spend to renovate the Taylor Street building to accommodate their operations.
The Building Reuse Grant Program is managed by the Partners in Progress, the nonprofit public/private economic development organization serving all of Moore County, assisted the Town of Aberdeen and Bulldog Pipe with preparing the Building Reuse grant application and will continue to assist the project by providing administrative support over the grant’s term.
“The building on Taylor Street sat vacant for 7 years, so we’re excited that Bulldog Pipe will not only bring new jobs and significant capital investment to the area, but they will also put an idle building back to productive use,” said Natalie Hawkins, Executive Director of Partners in Progress.
“With a limited supply of existing industrial buildings in the county, we worked hard to help Bulldog Pipe find a suitable location. We’re pleased the company chose Moore County and we look forward to supporting Bulldog Pipe in any way we can to help ensure their long-term success in Aberdeen.”
To further support Bulldog Pipe’s new location, the N.C. Department of Commerce also approved $247,445 in sales tax exemptions from purchases of new machinery and equipment and workforce training valued at $39,000 through the N.C. Community College System’s Customized Training Program. Sandhills Community College will work with the company at the local level to develop a comprehensive training plan to meet the company’s specific workforce development requirements.
The company currently employs 31 full-time employees at the Missouri facility. Bulldog Pipe will hire supervisors, maintenance personnel, and production operators at the Aberdeen facility, among several other positions. The company also pays 100% of health insurance premiums for its employees and provides a generous benefits package.
“We welcome Bulldog Pipe and look forward to their arrival,” said Robbie Farrell, mayor of Aberdeen. “I like to say that ‘Aberdeen is open for business’ and that means we embrace and support new industries like Bulldog Pipe locating in our community.”
“Their new facility will generate industrial growth that will benefit all of Moore County, not just Aberdeen, especially in terms of increasing our tax bases,” Farrell added.
“We greatly appreciate the valuable support and assistance we have received from the N.C. Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of N.C., the Town of Aberdeen, and Partners in Progress as we worked to secure a location in Moore County to expand our operations and put down roots in Aberdeen,” said McIntosh.
Courtesy photo/Contributed.
