Companies expanding footprint in Roseboro

NC Welding, Crumpler growing

By Chris Berendt [email protected]

An expansion of Crumpler Plastic Pipe in Roseboro is happening even as North Carolina Welding, LLC has just purchased 17 acres for an expansion at the former Blue Diamond property.

NC Welding, Crumpler growing

Another Roseboro business is expanding, as the industrial footprint in the central and western part of Sampson County grows larger.

The most recent expansion will be from North Carolina Welding, LLC, which purchased 17.21 acres from the county as part of their expansion in Roseboro. Located on NC Highway 24, the property is known locally by many as the former Blue Diamond property.

After the Blue Diamond facility closed up shop years ago, Sampson County leaders stepped in and acquired the property in July 2021. They purchased roughly 20 acres, which included a stand-alone office building plus manufacturing warehouse facilities, located near the old N.C. 24 turnoff on the western side of town.

The site was acquired for the purpose of preparing it for business and industrial use. Sampson County Manager Ed Causey commended the Board of Commissioners for their foresight when they approved the acquisition back in 2021.

“Sampson County Board of Commissioners saw an opportunity to spur non-residential development in the western part of the county. This win demonstrates the Board of Commissioners were on target with their vision,” Causey stated.

The expectations at the time the county bought the land was that the property would become a small business park consisting of office and light industrial companies.

“Developing this business park will allow more residents in the western part of the county to work closer to home,” said Stephen Barrington, Sampson County Economic Development director stated at the time. “In addition, we anticipate that its growth will spur new private investment in other areas of the county.”

“The board understands the direct correlation between their investment in economic development and the growth in the non-residential tax base that in turn funds the county’s programs and services, and financially supports infrastructure, schools, and other Board of Commissioner priorities,” Causey added.

The sell price of $375,000 will allow the county to recoup its investment, which has allowed another locally-based company to grow, in turn expanding that base of local tax money.

NC Welding’s tears down, repurposes and resells bleachers across the country. Some of their clients include major race car tracks, colleges and universities, and more.

“We are very pleased that NC Welding has chosen to expand in the Roseboro community,” Roseboro Mayor Alice Butler shared. “The company has quickly become good neighbors, and we look forward to working with them for a long time.”

Even as NC Welding expands, another expansion project is seeing Roseboro staple Crumpler Plastic Pipe increase its footprint.

“We’re right now in the middle of an expansion and we’re planning on adding another production line to increase our production capacity for our large diameter culverts, 18 inch to 48 inch,” Houston (Chip) Crumpler III told The Sampson Independent in February. “So we’re getting ready to start building and H N Carr is going to be building that new building for us.”

“It should be going up soon and we’ll be ordering a new production line once the was the foundation is laid,” he said. “It’ll be manufactured so that should take about a year to a year and a half for the production line to be assembled and produced. Once we get that produced, we’ll have another production line to make our large diameter culverts. The demand for them has grown in the past several years.”

Houston Crumpler, Sr. founded Crumpler Brick and Tile Company, Inc. in 1945 and for years it was the South’s largest manufacturer of clay drain tiles.In 1975, Crumpler Plastic Pipe was birthed and it operates the largest corrugated plastic pipe manufacturing plant under one roof on the Eastern Seaboard.

Chip Crumpler said one of the reasons for the company remaining in the area was due to the people.

“The people — if it was not for the help of the locals, we would not be where we are,” he attested.

Butler said the town was happy to have Crumpler, and to see them grow.

”In addition to the jobs created for the citizens in our area, the Houston Crumpler family has always been a huge supporter of town and our events like BloomFest and the Christmas parade,” the mayor said. “We certainly appreciate this partnership.”

Editor Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137 ext. 2587.