Applied Felts plans to expand in Henry County

Applied Felts is undergoing a $3 million expansion at its Henry County facility.

The plant, which now employs about 135 people, will add 15 manufacturing jobs with the expansion.

Applied Felts makes liners, mostly for sewer pipes, using cured in place pipe (CIPP) technology. CIPP involves felt liners being injected with resin and cured inside existing pipe.

Carl Fleming, the company’s financial controller, said it will add 21,000 square feet and two new lines of equipment to its building in the North Bowles Industrial Park. The expansion is expected to allow Applied Felts to expand to new markets and meet growing demand for pipe liners.

Fleming expects construction to be completed and one line operating by late spring, while the other new line should be up and running this fall.

To help with the project, Applied Felts will receive $52,897 over five years from the Henry County Enterprise Zone Fund and $35,000 from the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission.

Applied Felts is a subsidiary of the W.E. Rawson Group, which was founded in the United Kingdom in 1865.  In 1997, Applied Felts expanded to the United States with its manufacturing plant in Henry County.