New business moving to dollar store site

By Rose Hooper

CMG, a new enterprise of FCS Inc. of Utica, N.Y., announced plans Monday to open its business in the former Dollar Store location at Jackson Plaza.

Along with that move will come the creation of 100 new jobs, Bill White of CMG said during a press conference Oct. 21 at the Justice Center.

As soon as those jobs are created, CMG will receive $125,000 from the N.C. Governor's Incentive Fund. Dispersed through the Economic Development Commission of Jackson County, the funds must be matched locally dollar-for-dollar, either in cash or in-kind.

Using state-of-the-art equipment, CMG markets digital photography throughout the United States, White said. Another part of the operation requires the assembly and manufacture of composite picture boards for groups such as sororities, fraternities and law enforcement agencies.

"The Jackson Plaza location only provides 25 percent of the space we need," White said. "It will give us a business front presence, but we are still looking for an assembly location."

Tom McClure, EDC chairman, said he hoped CMG would eventually locate all of its operation here. Hiring of workers is under way, said White, who indicated salaries will range from $7 an hour to $50,000 a year, depending on positions.

During the same Monday meeting, Clemmy Queen of QC Apparel announced a contract with May Co., the nation's second largest department store. The contract is for bed-in-bag sets that sell around $300, in addition to draperies.

Also Monday, Queen said he "closed the deal on a second computerized quilting machine. We already have one, and each machine generates 12 employees, so that's 24 employees right there."

Queen said he expects to hire approximately 100 employees over the next 12 to 18 months. QC Apparel, which is to receive a $300,000 advance from the county's Revolving Loan Fund, began its move this week to the former Tuckaseigee Mills building near the Sylva Community Service Center.

Back to Archive: 10/24/02.