Trendco to bring 292 jobs to Ala. with $43 million nitrile glove plant

TUSKEGEE, Ala.—A logistics hub in Alabama is where yet another nitrile glove manufacturer aims to increase the domestic supply of critical PPE in the U.S.

Columbia, S.C.-based Trendco USA is investing in Tuskegee, where it plans to launch a $43 million glove manufacturing operation and create 292 jobs over five years at a facility in the new Regional East Alabama Logistics (REAL) Park, according to an Aug. 9 news release from Gov. Kay Ivey.

Trendco, an "early-stage" company that produces medical-grade examination gloves in Louisiana through a partnership with another company, plans to install as many as 10 glove production lines at the REAL Park facility. And once the lines are established, the manufacturer plans to expand production into masks and gowns.

The operation will be located in an existing 168,000-sq.-ft. facility and represents "the catalyst project" for the 700-acre industrial park, according to the governor's office. Trendco has signed a lease for 100,000 square feet of the facility, where it initially will set up a distribution operation as it prepares to launch glove production.

Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the glove plant "validates the vision to move forward with ambitious development plans for REAL Park," noting the benefits of the park's proximity to a major interstate highway.

"The park is perfectly positioned to capitalize on the growth of the I-85 corridor, and I believe other companies will be putting down roots there in the near future," he said.

After considering sites in Georgia and the Carolinas, "…Trendco decided to locate its manufacturing facility in Tuskegee, and I am confident the company made the right choice for its investment project," Gov. Ivey said. "I look forward to seeing the company grow and thrive here in Alabama."

Trendco CEO Darryl Hunter said Tuskegee and the surrounding communities "will play a vital role" in the company's success.

The Macon County Commission, Macon County Economic Development Authority and other local institutions are supporting the Trendco project with utility upgrades and an industrial access road at the site worth $1.1 million and other in-kind services. AIDT, the state's primary workforce development agency, also is providing services to advance the project.