Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Stanly County Economic Development Commission recently toured a Norwood factory which continues to grow.

New Finish is a Class A commercial coating business which does coating including powder, electrocoating, liquid, chemical agent resisting and sandblasting.

In 2020, the business expanded, adding 20 jobs and $3.5 million in real property, machinery and equipment. Two production lines now work two eight-hour shifts Monday through Friday.

Owners Steve and Brenda Bradley led a tour with members of the board of directors, along with EDC Director Candice Lowder and staff.

Before the tour, Lowder, along with board members Charles Brown and Larry Baucom, honored outgoing chairperson and board member Cindy Beane. Having served on the board for 18 years, Beane, an Albemarle accountant with the firm of Beane, Swaringen and Co., PLLC, chaired the board for the past five years.

“On behalf of the more than 60,000 residents of Stanly County, thank you for your participation, your service and your leadership. We salute you for your tireless efforts,” Brown said.

Added Baucom, “We are going to miss you.”

Beane said it was an honor to serve.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I have loved working with every one of you, and I’ve loved getting to know some of you that I didn’t know before,” Beane said.

Lowder presented a plaque to Beane.

“We will miss you terribly,” Lowder said. “I think you know how much I adore you and value our friendship.”

New Finish’s new building was completed in 2023 and received a $120,000 building reuse grant from the state awarded by the Rural Infrastructure Authority.

New Finish also received a local tax-based grant, based on the company’s increase in taxable property and new jobs, for 60% of new taxes for five years.