A New York-based glass fabricator’s move into North Carolina is at a pause after concerns about market conditions prompted reconsideration.
Multiple local media outlets report that Crystal Window & Door Systems’ move to open an $83.7 million plant in Selma, North Carolina, is on hold. WRAL News staff writes that Thomas Chen, chairperson and founder of Crystal, told state officials that the company had intended to honor its commitment to the planned expansion, but unforeseen factors halted the move.
“At the time of application and award, Crystal fully intended to move forward with the proposed investment and job creation in Selma,” Chen wrote to state officials. “However, due to a combination of unforeseen business, geopolitical and economic factors, Crystal has made the decision not to proceed with the project at this time.”
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced in spring 2024 that Crystal aimed to open the facility in Johnston County with a focus on aluminum and vinyl extrusion and door and window fabrication. The plant would also offer in-house finishing capabilities such as powder coating. The news followed a busy few months for the glass fabricator, which announced an expansion in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the purchase of a 44-acre parcel of land in Mansfield, Texas. The Texas plot will house a 650,000-square-foot fabrication facility that will double as a regional headquarters.
At the Selma site, Crystal had agreed to pay average wages of at least $56,061 and invest around $83 million by the end of 2028. The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars was expected to be 81%, meaning that for every dollar of potential cost to the state, North Carolina would have received $1.81 in state revenue.
As reported by The Johnston County Report, Chris Johnson, Johnston County economic development director, states that “fundamental changes in market conditions often prompt companies to reconsider expansion plans, and that appears to be the case for Crystal.” He tells the outlet that no local or state incentive grant money was given to Crystal, as they were performance-based.
Crystal’s pullback comes amid rising aluminum costs, tariff uncertainty and broader economic pressures affecting fabricators and manufacturers.