Zhejiang Kingsun Eco-Pacl Ltd. (Kingsun), a Chinese manufacturer of biodegradable paper tableware, announced that it will establish its first U.S. production facility in Robbinsville, North Carolina.
The company expects the $80.5 million project to create up to 515 jobs.
Kingsun plans to establish operations at a former furniture manufacturing building that ended operations in 2014 and became officially vacant in 2020.
The company stated that the facility would make its full range of disposable tableware, including biodegradable dishware, bowls and plates. The site will also feature a showroom.
Kingsun uses wood pulp and recycled cardboard as raw materials for its products, resources that align with Western North Carolina's legacy of wood-based manufacturing.
Founded in 2008, Kingsun currently operates 32 production lines with an annual output of 75,000 tons of disposable paper tableware, distributed from three Chinese regions.
