UFP moving into new digs |

Mecklenburg Times staff reports//August 19, 2011//

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After purchasing the former Maxon Furniture plant from Maxon in July for $1.7 million, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Universal Forest Products started moving equipment into the 69,000-square-foot plant on Grace Church Road in Salisbury last week, company spokeswoman Lynn Afendoulis said.

The company, which manufactures and distributes wood and wood-alternative products for the construction industry, plans to invest $2.6 million in an expansion of the facility, including $1 million in new equipment.

Afendoulis said the company plans to add about 50 new jobs over the next several years. She said local and state incentives, including a joint $37,500 grant from Rowan County and the Salisbury City Council, helped with the company’s expansion.

Maxon Furniture shut down its Salisbury operations last year, laying off 132 workers.