Ontex celebrated the official grand opening of its new manufacturing facility in the South Rockingham Industrial Park on Wednesday, July 13.

The Ontex factory is the first facility to open in the 350-acre South Rockingham Industrial Park owned by The Carroll Companies, which also owns the publication.

The 250,000-square-foot facility has been in operation since the spring and currently employs about 100 people.

Ontex is a Belgium company that manufactures personal care products such as baby pants, adult diapers and feminine hygiene products.  The Rockingham County plant currently manufactures baby diapers for retailers and lifestyle brands, but Ontex plans to expand its production and workforce on the site and manufacture other products.

The facility in Rockingham County is the first Ontex manufacturing facility in the United States, and the Belgium company did a nationwide search for a suitable location before settling on the South Rockingham Industrial Park, which is just south of where NC 68 diverges from I-73-US 2020 in a triangular shaped area.

The development of the industrial park began in 2019, and in May 2020 it was announced that Ontex would be the first tenant.  When the South Rockingham Industrial Park is complete it is expected to house 2.5 million square feet of industrial space.

In a press release about the grand opening, CEO of Ontex Esther Berrozpe said, “We are proud to invest in local production within the United States to meet the growing demand for our essential hygiene products for millions of North Americans.  This investment provides Ontex with both a West and East coast supply chain footprint in a key market where we see significant opportunity to grow and develop our business.”

Ontex already has a plant in Mexico.

Chair of the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners Kevin Berger said, “Rockingham County is proud to support the expansion of Ontex to our area, which not only supports the needs of individuals around the world, but creates jobs for our residents here at home.  We are excited to see the facility officially open and look forward to supporting Ontex’s success for many years to come.”