Despite reservations about incentives, especially after the recent Dell fiasco, Archdale City Council approved a requested grant to Stickley Furniture.

Last spring, Stickley Fine Furniture bought the facility at 701 Eden Terrace that they had been renting as a warehouse. The company planned to upgrade the building so they could manufacture a newly acquired line of fine furniture, Nichols & Stone.

Stickley asked for help with the cost of extending natural gas service to the site. In May and June, respectively, Archdale City Council and Randolph County Commissioners agreed to fund a joint grant of $11,250 for the gas line.

Since then, Piedmont Gas decided to extend service to the property at no charge. The unexpected windfall nullified Stickley’s grant agreement. The company asked that the local governments still give them the money, which they would use for permanent upgrades to the building, specifically heating and air conditioning.

Bonnie Renfro, president of Randolph County Economic Development Corporation, presented the request at Archdale’s Nov. 24 council meeting.

The new agreement requires that Stickley meet the same conditions as before. They will invest $860,000 in building improvements and new equipment, doubling the tax revenue from the property. Twenty new jobs will be created within two years, and Stickley must maintain their current level of operations for two years, including the 165 employees at their plant at 116 Petty St. The two years start, and Stickley gets the money, when they present their certificate of occupancy and proof of the upgrade expenses.

City Council approved the incentive, for which Archdale will pay $5,625. Only Councilman Roger Blackwell dissented. No one spoke at the public hearing.

Councilman Eddie Causey said he supported it because Stickley is already established in Archdale and will create more jobs.

Councilman Tim Williams said that he was reluctant about incentives, but felt more comfortable because of the performance requirements.

Blackwell told the NEWS that he had approved the original incentive because it would bring utilities to the area. But he felt that paying to upgrade the building would set a bad precedent and did not follow the intent of the original incentive.

Randolph County Commissioners will consider their half of the grant Monday, Dec. 7.