This large industrial building will be vacant after Charleston Forge closes its plant in June. The building has housed Melville Manufacturing (shoe factory) and, more recently, Carolina Narrow Fabrics.

Charleston Forge to close in Sparta

Charleston Forge announced last week that it will be closing its two operations in Alleghany County within 60 days.

Art Barber, president of Charleston Forge, made the announcement last week through a release sent to the Alleghany County Commission and the Sparta Town Council. The document said the jobs will be ending over a two-week period from May 20 through June 3.

A total of 53 people will lose jobs at the plants, one of which is the former Melville Manufacturing plant at 308 Memorial Park Dr. and the other is the former NAPCO plant at 535 Napco Rd. In addition, five workers in Boone will also lose their jobs.

The company also laid off another 22 local employees about one month ago.

The company recently completed the purchase of the former shoe factory, which was owned by Alleghany County and most recently housed Carolina Narrow Fabrics prior to Charleston Forge. Carolina Narrow had leased the building from the county prior to announcing in July 2000 that it would be closing later that year. Carolina Narrow Fabrics continues to run an operation in Winston-Salem.

The Napco Road plant was a woodworking operation that produced shelving and table tops for the company's furniture, while the Memorial Park facility produced metal furniture components.

County Manager Don Adams said the Charleston Forge building was valued at $719,000 when it was purchased by the company in June 2005. Under the agreement, the company had to pay the county $246,000 and received credits totalling $383,000 toward the purchase.

At the same time, Barber also privately negotiated the purchase of the NAPCO building from that company. That move allowed NAPCO to purchase and renovate the former Spring Ford Knit Products building on Trojan Drive.

 

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