Elite Comfort Solutions of Newnan, Georgia, announced Tuesday that it will expand its Fort Smith plant, adding 100 jobs.
The plant, formerly owned by Hickory Spring Manufacturing, is located at 4921 State Line Road.
The new jobs will bring the plant’s total employment to 185. Elite Comfort makes flexible polyurethane and viscoelastic foams for the bedding, furniture and home furnishings markets.
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission said Elite Comfort is receiving two state incentives:
- Tax Back, which provides sales tax refunds on building materials, taxable machinery and equipment associated with the expansion project; and
- Advantage Arkansas, which provides an income tax credit based on payroll of new jobs. The credit is equal to 1 percent of payroll.
“The Fort Smith facility is a critical piece to the overall manufacturing and distribution model of the company’s market expansion strategy,” Rick Ralston, vice president of operations for ECS-East, said in a news release. “ECS is leveraging existing underutilized assets as well as investing in new equipment and technology to promote enhanced performance products in certain bedding, furniture and e-commerce served markets.”
Hickory Spring Manufacturing sold its foam manufacturing division to Arsenal Capital Partners, a New York private investment company, in March. Arsenal rolled the division, along with two other recently acquired properties, into a new company called Elite Comfort Solutions. Terms of the acquisitions were not disclosed.
“Fort Smith has developed a reputation as a hub for manufacturing and today that reputation grows thanks to the announcement of ECS’ expansion,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a news release. “Fort Smith’s leadership should be commended for making job creation a priority and understanding the importance of supporting local employers. We appreciate ECS’ decision to continue to invest in Arkansas and our workforce.”
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