Hayward Holdings, a global designer and manufacturer of pool equipment and associated automation systems, plans to open a new 324,000 square-foot distribution facility in Mocksville by the end of 2021.
Hayward will be the first tenant of the Davie Industrial Center at 202 Gildan Road.
Once completed, the Mocksville center, combined with the company’s existing facility in Clemmons, will bring Hayward’s Southeast-based footprint to approximately 1.3 million square feet of combined manufacturing and distribution operations.
Relocating the distribution center will allow the company to expand its manufacturing capacity in Clemmons to keep up with the growing demand for its outdoor living products. Over the next two years, the company plans to hire around 50 new employees and transfer about 150 more from the Clemmons location to fully staff the facility.
“The amount of money that consumers are spending on pool equipment has doubled in the past 10 years,” said Kevin Holleran, CEO of Hayward Holdings, which is based in Berkeley Heights, NJ. “We have a lifetime relationship with pool owners, which means we need to be able to get them their equipment when and where they need it. This promise to customers is a big part of our capacity investment strategy.”
The Mocksville distribution facility will service the company’s expanding North American, European, Australian, and Latin American markets. The facility will also include a customer and technical training center designed to promote and support the growth of Hayward’s channel partners. The Mocksville project completes a distribution expansion program that includes the 2020 launch of a world-class distribution facility located in Phoenix, Ariz.
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“We would like to welcome another leader in the world to our community, and as a community take another step forward in learning what it takes to win a deal in this global economy,” said Terry Bralley, president of the Davie County Economic Development Commission (DCEDC).
He said the project will bring an investment of nearly $25 million to the Davie County community.
Winning projects like this requires experience, meticulous planning and preparation, cooperation, patience, and Davie County’s secret sauce; a ready supply of speculative buildings.
“Most companies today need to be moving at record speed because they are chasing a contract somewhere. They don’t have time to put a building up or get a piece of property rezoned and get all of the infrastructure to it. Companies are looking for a building shell that can be customized and up and running in 90-120 days,” said Bralley.
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“Most rural counties would love to have what we have in terms of a spec building program. While some communities have taken public funds to compete with other developers, we’ve taken the opposite approach; supporting private sector efforts and partnering with private developers rather than competing with them.”
Bralley found that first partner 23 years ago in the Tennessee-based Hollingsworth Companies. The SouthPoint Industrial Park, located just north of Interstate 40 on US Highway 601, now consists of 10 buildings from 72,480 to 253,180 square feet and has brought thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of investment to Davie County.
He was thrilled to find a second partner closer to home. In 2019, local entrepreneur, Bill Junker, owner of Trailers of the East Coast, partnered with John Reece of Commercial Realty Advisors, Buddy Seymour, the president-manager of Windsor Commercial, and Louis DeJoy, president of LDJ Global Strategies, LLC to establish the Davie Industrial Center just off I-40 at Interstate Drive and Gildan Drive.
Not wanting to compete with Hollingsworth, and knowing that Bralley would love to have a larger industrial building in his inventory, Junker said the group decided to take a risk and build the 324,000 square foot facility. The park has two more graded pads, that once fully developed, can provide almost 700,000 square feet of additional industrial space.
Junker is proud of the county’s success. “Our neighboring counties are very jealous and can’t quite understand what is going on in Davie County. It’s small. How are they getting all of these great opportunities?” said Junker. “It’s very difficult to put these deals together. It’s a long process. I don’t think the public realizes how much groundwork has been put in place to position Davie County as one of the top counties in North Carolina for attracting industry.”
“Things like this don’t happen accidentally. It takes people with leadership skills and vision. Davie County and Mocksville have been blessed to have the vision and foresight that Terry Bralley has shared with our town and county commissioners and leaders,” said Junker, who experienced firsthand how critical the cooperation and support between the county and town is when attracting new companies to our community. “Our leaders have respected and seen his vision and have responded by giving the county the infrastructure it takes to grow an economy which is so important to our children’s and grandchildren’s future.”
Embarrassed by the praise, Bralley smiled and said, “It’s all about relationships, developing relationships, and making connections. Those relationships can be worth millions”
About Hayward Holdings, Inc.
Hayward Holdings, Inc. is a global designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad portfolio of pool equipment and associated automation systems. Headquartered in Berkeley Heights, NJ, Hayward designs, manufactures, and markets a full line of innovative, energy-efficient pool and spa equipment. To learn more, visit www.hayward-pool.com
