Five Catawba County Manufacturers awarded $200,000 through first-of-its-kind Catawba Future-Ready Manufacturing Grant

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. – The Catawba County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) has announced the recipients of the inaugural Catawba Future-Ready Manufacturing Grant (FRMG). The program serves as a pioneering effort to accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies among existing industries.

Through a highly competitive application and review process, five Catawba County companies were selected for awards totaling $200,000: Sarstedt, Inc., Pöppelmann Plastics USA LLC, SEI Technologies, Unitape USA, and Marcal Blue Ridge Molding LLC. These companies represent a cross-section of Catawba County’s diverse manufacturing base and demonstrate a strong commitment to innovation, efficiency, and workforce advancement.

The FRMG is the first program of its kind in North Carolina, created to assist manufacturers integrate Industry 4.0 and advanced automation solutions that strengthen competitiveness and long-term resiliency. County leaders recognized the growing need for companies to adopt new technologies and the financial challenges that often accompany those transitions.

Thanks to the financial support and forward-looking leadership of the Catawba County Board of Commissioners, the FRMG came to fruition earlier this year. “Supporting our existing industries is a top priority in Catawba County,” said Randy Isenhower, Chair of the County Board of Commissioners. “This program underscores our commitment to providing the resources and tools manufacturing companies need to strengthen operations, support employees, and remain competitive in an evolving global market.”

Danyel Harris, SEI Technologies, “This investment will allow SEI Technologies to launch our Lights-Out Manufacturing initiative bringing advanced, multi-axis machining without attended production. By completing complex parts in a single setup, we can achieve higher accuracy, shorter cycle times, and more consistent quality while reducing waste and manual handling. This project will accelerate our company's growth, support higher-skilled opportunities for our employees, and strengthen our manufacturing competitiveness.”

The inaugural FRMG cycle drew substantial interest from manufacturers across the county, reflecting both the demand for this type of support and the readiness of local companies to pursue forward-thinking investments. Projects selected for funding include automation upgrades, robotics, advanced quality systems, and other technologies that enhance productivity, reduce downtime, support workforce upskilling and reinforce local supply chain capabilities.

“This first group of awardees showcases the innovation already happening inside our community’s manufacturing facilities,” said Kimberly Propst, Economic Development Specialist with Catawba County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and program lead for the FRMG. “We are proud to partner with these companies and excited to see measurable impact these projects will generate in the year ahead.”

The FRMG is administered by the Catawba County EDC in partnership with county leadership and is expected to serve as a model for other communities exploring ways to support advanced manufacturing transitions.

For more information about the FRMG, please contact Catawba County EDC.

###

Media Contact:
Catawba County Economic Development Corporation
Kimberly Propst
828-267-1564

kpropst@catawbacountync.gov