“Made in the USA” is a source of pride for consumers and manufacturers alike. That’s why it’s encouraging to see that as the U.S. manufacturing sector continues to adapt to challenging 21st century economic conditions, there is no shortage of success stories.
Texture Plus is a leading manufacturer of high-quality faux wall paneling designed to evoke the look and feel of traditional building materials — brick, wood, stone, metal and even bamboo — at a fraction of the cost.
Customers range from large international corporations to individual consumers, such as DIY homeowners, designers and contractors, who value Texture Plus for its aesthetic appeal, versatility and ease of use. The company has worked with such well-known brands as Foot Locker, Macy’s and Kohl’s, and was even featured on the television program “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
Texture Plus: Made in the USA, Expanding in the USA
Founded in 1980 and acquired by the Kampe family in 2000, Texture Plus is a family-owned company that takes great pride in creating a quality, U.S.-made product that people and businesses use to beautify residential and commercial spaces around the globe. Trusted industry experts for nearly four decades, their durable polymer-based building materials are entirely designed, tooled and manufactured at their factory in Long Island, N.Y.
The company’s success is built around a high-quality product that customers are using in both traditional and highly creative ways. Home and business beautification projects. Sharp corporate environments. Retail interior design rollouts. Eye-catching projects in restaurants, amusement parks and more!
Available in a nearly infinite palette of custom colors, the panels come in some 850 styles and designs ranging from the expected to the unusual — Historic Brick, Cut Granite and Rustic Barnwood; Beach Sand, Tree Bark and Reclaimed Timber. One customer used faux metal wall panels to fashion a Harley-Davidson-themed room for her serviceman husband; others can’t resist using bamboo to create backyard or indoor tiki bars.
Kampe’s mission has always been to manufacture the very best, most authentic-looking wall panels at a price that makes sense — designed for easy installation with basic carpentry or handyman skills.
And business has been good. So good, in fact, that Kampe found himself facing a dilemma encountered by many successful companies: He needed more space to accommodate the current and projected future needs of his growing business.
However, he had no interest in moving all or even part of his operation outside the country to save money on facilities, infrastructure and labor — this, despite the fact that some of his competitors are distributors and not manufacturers, so the plants from which they source their panels are often located outside the U.S.
Inspired by 'the Renaissance of American Manufacturing’
The owner/CEO’s decision to move his company to North Carolina was motivated by many factors in addition to staying in the U.S. and finding the ideal space to grow.
“The primary driver is the economics,” said Kampe, who worked with state and local officials in N.C. to identify potential sites and to determine what grant programs and tax incentives might be available to help an entrepreneur breathe new life into a dormant manufacturing facility. He loved the idea of purchasing and renovating an abandoned building, and reinvigorating it with new activity and new jobs.
Located within a stone’s throw of Charlotte, the site Kampe ultimately chose in Lincolnton, N.C., gives him improved access to shipping and transportation infrastructure, as well as a 20,000-square-foot building that offers the space he needs to expand.
Once home to a precision machine shop, the new facility also has a historical connection to the manufacturing industry and Kampe said he is pleased to be playing a small part in “the renaissance of American manufacturing.”
This region of North Carolina is “a manufacturing center,” said Kampe, who also intends to hire locally. “We’ll be bringing longtime employees with us and hiring new team members there.”
Kampe looks forward to recruiting new talent as Texture Plus continues to create new styles and designs (in addition to traditional best-sellers brick, wood and stone, the Texture Plus collection features unique options like beach sand, tumbled marble and tree bark).
On its website, the town of Lincolnton describes itself as: “Near the City. Near the Mountains. Near Perfect.” Kampe believes it’s the perfect location to write the next chapter of his company’s unique “Made in the USA” success story.