Rocky Mount Companies Do Business Internationally
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You don’t have to travel to Tokyo‚ London or even Charlotte to do business internationally.
Commerce across borders happens daily in Rocky Mount. Just a quick glance at the community is proof that doing business in a mid-sized town is not only possible – it’s profitable.
RBC Financial Group of Montreal kept its U.S. headquarters for banking in Rocky Mount when it purchased Centura Bank two years ago. The local operation also oversees RBC Builder Finance of Houston and RBC Mortgage of Chicago‚ says Tom Rogers‚ group executive for community affairs and corporate development.
“ There is a good workforce here and a community that supports our bank‚” Rogers says. RBC Centura has grown to more than 1‚200 employees – from about 1‚000 at the purchase. Local bankers who run RBC Centura banks in five states now also have the international parent’s resources.
“ Doing business internationally goes on in small towns‚ not just Atlanta‚ New York and Los Angeles‚” Rogers says.
Poppies International Inc.‚ a Belgian bakery firm‚ was attracted to Rocky Mount by its easy access to transportation routes‚ central location‚ low energy costs and the presence of other food processors that would require similar support industries‚ says Luc Kerkhof‚ general manager.
Midway between New York and Miami‚ Rocky Mount’s location makes it easier for Poppies to get its frozen cream puffs and éclairs to wholesalers like Sam’s Club and Costco. The $15 million state-of-the-art plant‚ the company’s first in the U.S.‚ fills seven to eight truckloads daily‚ Kerkhof says.
When the Swiss company Kaba bought the Canada-based Ilco almost two years ago‚ the purchase opened a European market for locally produced key products‚ such as replacement key blanks and key-duplicating equipment. Prior to the consolidation of the two companies‚ Ilco had operated a plant in Rocky Mount since 1974.
The merger also established Rocky Mount as a distribution center for Kaba security products made in other countries‚ says John Allen‚ human resources manager.
“ It solidified us in terms of our current position in Rocky Mount‚” Allen says.
Kaba Ilco is now North America’s largest maker of key blanks and is continuing to expand its key and security-related product line.
Recruiting the Poppies of the world – and keeping the RBC Centuras and Kaba Ilcos – is what the Carolinas Gateway Partnership is all about.
“ Our primary goal is to keep the businesses we have and to help recruit new ones‚” says John Gessaman‚ the partnership’s president and CEO. Formed in 1996‚ the partnership is backed by Nash and Edgecombe counties and more than 200 area business investors.
“ We think this area is attractive to a variety of companies and has a good business climate for practically any kind of business‚” Gessaman says.
Abbott Laboratories‚ which has been making injectable pharmaceutical products in Rocky Mount since 1968‚ has found “a very friendly environment to operate in‚” says Russ Gall‚ director of plant operations. Abbott last year finished a $20 million expansion that increased its workforce to 2‚100.
Educational opportunities for both workers and their families are another plus for the Rocky Mount area‚ thanks to North Carolina Wesleyan College‚ Nash Community College and Edgecombe Community College‚ Gall says.
Story by Candy McCampbell
Photo by Antony Boshier
