Business plans expansion

68 new jobs coming to commercial laundry service

Credit: Jennifer Frew | The News Herald

Large piles of soiled hospital laundry travel up a conveyor belt to enter enormous washing machines at Maple Springs Laundry, Inc., in Long View on Tuesday. The company is expanding and will add jobs in 2010.

By: Sharon McBrayer | Morganton News Herald
Published: December 30, 2009

Morganton --

A business is expanding in eastern Burke County and plans to hire more employees.
Maple Springs Laundry, which is located in Long View, will renovate another building in the town to expand its operation, say company officials.
Burke County, the county economic development council and town officials, as well as Gov. Beverly Perdue's office made the announcement Tuesday.
Maple Springs Laundry now has 190 employees, said company President Chris Daughtry.
He wants to hire about 68 new employees within the next three years. However, about 50 new full-time employees will be hired before the doors open on the new building, he said.
The new employees will likely be hired in August, Daughtry said.
The business first has to renovate the old Beagle Brand Textiles building, which has been vacant for about four years. Investments in the building upgrade, expansion and machinery and equipment will be about $6 million.
Daughtry said they plan to update and renovate the building and double its size.
"So there's a lot of work to be done," Daughtry said. "But we're looking forward to it."
Wayne Harris, director of Burke Economic Development Council, said the building will go from about 18,000 square feet to 40,000 square feet. The town of Long View aided the company by providing additional land needed for the building expansion, Harris said.
The town will receive a Community Development Block Grant to relocate a sewer line to make way for the building expansion, Harris said. It also will be used for other sewer and street projects in the town, he said.
In a release, Maple Springs owner Bob Daughtry said, "We are very thankful and blessed to be able to continue growing our business in light of the struggles small businesses have faced over recent years. We are also very appreciative of our long-term relationship and all the assistance provided by the Town of Long View, the Western Piedmont Council of Governments, the Burke Economic Development Council and Department of Commerce."
Maple Springs Laundry serves the hospital and health care industry and last year laundered approximately 43 million pounds. It has been in business for 38 years, say company officials.