Scott Kamps
EcoKing Solutions reopening the old Stanley plant and investing $80.5 million locally (“EcoKing coming to Town,” July 24, 2025) seems promising for Graham County.
It also raises questions that are worth asking.
Who should we thank for the China-based manufacturer bringing 500-plus jobs to Robbinsville? Graham County Commissioner Meggan Smith fittingly quoted Helen Keller, saying, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” There’s a list of people/entities to thank going around on social media, listing out folks like Graham County government, Robbinsville, Gov. Josh Stein, House Rep. Karl Gillespie, Sen. Kevin Corbin, Rep. Chuck Edwards and several entities.
I’m sure there was a lot of work and collaboration that went into this major investment coming here: they all deserve thanks.
Another person who deserves a big thank you would be President Trump. Why would a company founded in 2008 – already employing 1,500 people in three factories in China – suddenly want to invest in their first U.S.-based factory? It’s difficult to not see a correlation to Trump’s tariffs. That’s not to say his tariff policies are all good – time will tell – but they clearly benefitted Graham County in this case.
That leads to a question about our nation – and our county: do we have a manufacturing problem in our country, or do we have a lack of appetite for manufacturing work?
I want people of all skill and education level who desire to work hard, and pursue a good life to have meaningful and fulfilling employment opportunities. But for a variety of reasons, people don’t desire low entry manufacturing work like they used to.
A Cato 2024 globalization survey found 80% of those surveyed would like to see more manufacturing jobs in America. However, only 25% of the same people said that they would want one. It appears that a whole lot of people like the idea of factory work in the U.S., and a lot less people are pursuing it.
The National Association of Manufacturers – an advocacy group for the manufacturing industry – states on their website that 67% of manufacturers cite the inability to attract and retain employees as their primary challenge. Will it be harder to find workers in Graham County than jobs?
In consideration of the need for workers, it’s possible that the opening of EcoKing Solutions might bring people to Graham County.
But that raises the question of housing in our county. I don’t know if our county’s technically in a housing crisis, but it sure seems difficult for median income wage earners to find affordable housing. So, how far will folks travel to work for EcoKing Solutions?
These questions are not intended to damper the news of EcoKing Solutions coming here, but they certainly are worth considering. I’ve heard various thoughts and responses about these questions, but I’d be interested to hear from readers, too.
Scott Kamps writes a bi-weekly column for The Graham Star. He can be reached via email, thestableguy@frontier.com.