German manufacturer bringing 355 jobs to Henry County

Schock GmbH, a German quartz composite sink manufacturer, plans to build an $85 million manufacturing facility in Henry County, creating 355 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday.

Virginia competed with Florida, Georgia and North Carolina for the project, which will occupy a 95,500-square-foot shell building on 14.7 acres in Patriot Centre Industrial Park. Northam met with company executives in May during his trade trip to Germany.

“We are excited to welcome Schock to Virginia,” Northam said in a statement. “This important European company is choosing to invest in Virginia because of our highly skilled workers and our outstanding business climate. When a global leader like Schock selects Virginia as its gateway into the United States, that’s a sign that this is a great place to do business. We look forward to a successful partnership for many years to come.”

According to the governor’s office, the new facility will be completed in phases, with the first phase — establishing the capability to produce quartz composite kitchen sinks — finished in five years. Schock invented the material in 1979 and manufactures more than 200 sink models in 40 colors within multiple product lines.