OUR ECONOMY
economy, Agribusiness Henderson County assists new and existing producers in their agricultural pursuits. This public and privately funded nonprofit also operates the Souther n Mountain Fresh Program, which brings the public and locally grown food together. At SouthernMountainFresh.com, people can find out what’s in season in Henderson County and where to buy it. The website also publicizes area agriculture events and is a resource for agri-tourism opportunities. The Blue Ridge Farm Direct Market Association also offers information about farms as well as what crops are in season at NCApples.com.
CRAFT BEVERAGES The county’s first craft brewer opened its operation downtown off Seventh Avenue in Hendersonville in 2011. The next year, Sierra Nevada
Brew ing Compa ny a nnounced Mills River as the site of their East Coast operation and began brewing and distributing in 2014. During the same period, several commercial v ineyards opened wineries in the county, and small hard cider producers followed shortly thereafter. In 2015, Bold Rock Hard Cider chose Henderson County for the site of its third facility, its first outside Virginia. Using apples grown in Henderson County as the foundation for its ciders, Bold Rock crafts a range of ciders including seasonal varieties at its facility in Mills River. The craft beverage sector has added jobs, revenue and energy to the local economy. Sierra Nevada alone invested more than $107.5 million in Henderson County within its first five years of operation. Blue Ridge Community College offers a brewing program with courses in brewing,
distillation and fermentation and related coursework in safety and sanitation, applied craft beverage microbiology, agriculture, marketing and management to ensure a skilled workforce for this thriving local industry. And thanks to tasting rooms, special events and tours, visitors have even more reason to visit Henderson County. Learn more about local breweries, wineries, cideries, and places that make mead at VisitHendersonvilleNC.org/ Cheers-Trail and through the Ale Tr a i l o n p a g e 4 8 a n d a t AshevilleAleTrail.com.
MANUFACTURING Henderson County is home to a strategic manufacturing cluster that creates products vital to such sectors as the automotive, outdoor recreation, food and beverage, metalworking and plastics sectors. Today, more than 130 manufacturers operate facilities in Henderson County. They employ nearly 4,800 people in the county’s workforce with average wages in excess of $58,000 a year.
Kimberly-Clark's well known family care and personal care brands hold the #1 or #2 share position in 80 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people’s most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what’s important to them. In Henderson County, the Berkeley Mill is an ISO Certified work location with approximately 350 people. It contains 7 Nonwoven Base Machines and operates on a 24/7 production schedule. The site ships products to other Kimberly-Clark plants to convert and export other materials to other countries.
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT KIMBERLY-CLARK? Interested Applicants are Encouraged to Visit CareersAtKC.com.
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Longtime local manufacturers include Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Berkeley Mills which has roots in Henderson County going back to the 1920s when Kimberly-Clark was first established as a paper and newsprint company. Kimberly-Clark is now a billion-dollar company with global family care and personal care brands that include Huggies®, Kleenex®, Scott®, Cottonelle® and Kotex®. Manufacturing thrives in the county thanks to a strong focus on resources that support success. These assets include transpor tation access, inf ra str uc t ure and work force advantages. Being situated at the crossroads of I-26 and I-40 makes it easy to move raw materials and finished goods. Air transport and commercial air services provided by the Asheville Regional Airport a n d G r e e n v i l l e -S p a r t a n b u r g International Airport ensure people Hendersonville Magazine 2022–2023
