Reidsville to reimburse Rockingham County up to $12,500 toward state building‑reuse grant for Joy Always project

Reidsville — The City Council on June 9 approved reimbursing Rockingham County up to $12,500 to cover half of the city’s share of a required local match for a state building‑reuse grant tied to Joy Always’s planned expansion in Reidsville.

Economic Development Director Montana Brown told council the global hygiene‑products manufacturer Joy Always plans an $18 million investment at 129 South Technology Drive and intends to create 113 jobs with an average annual wage of $54,391. The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Rural Infrastructure Authority awarded a $500,000 building‑reuse grant to support renovations of the 216,000‑square‑foot facility; the grant requires a local match of up to 5% (about $25,000 total). Rockingham County was the grant applicant and asked the city to cover half of the local contribution, $12,500, to be reimbursed post‑performance in accordance with state program rules.

Council discussion focused on project timing and hiring schedules; Brown said the company has begun hiring and some production has started, and that reimbursement requests are expected when performance benchmarks are met (likely late 2026 or mid 2027). Council moved and approved the reimbursement by voice vote with no roll‑call tally recorded.

Why it matters: the city’s contribution helps secure a large private investment and job creation in Reidsville; program rules require the local government to authorize matching commitments up front even if the actual disbursement is tied to later performance milestones.

Next steps: staff will implement the reimbursement consistent with the state's building‑reuse program and will report back when Rockingham County requests reimbursement and when performance benchmarks are validated.