ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County commissioners will consider up to $21,000 in economic development incentives Tuesday for East Fork Pottery’s previously announced $2.5 million Asheville expansion.
The expansion is expected to add 40 full-time jobs paying an average of $26 an hour, according to county documents. Commissioners will hold a public hearing before considering an economic development agreement with the ceramics company.
East Fork announced the expansion in December 2025, saying the investment in its Asheville production facilities would double production and add 40 engineering and skilled manufacturing jobs over three years. The company said the expansion would also support more than 125 existing jobs.
Under the proposed county agreement, East Fork would be eligible for a one-time $16,000 incentive if it meets capital investment and job-creation targets. The company could receive another $5,000 if it demonstrates that it hired employees through workforce development programs.
East Fork applied for county incentives before announcing the expansion, according to the county. Staff has since analyzed the project’s economic impact and drafted the agreement commissioners will consider Tuesday.
Founded by Alex Matisse in Madison County in 2010, East Fork had grown to produce more than 750,000 pieces of ceramic dinnerware and home goods annually by the time the expansion was announced.
Matisse said in December that the investment would deepen East Fork’s commitment to Asheville while continuing North Carolina’s long tradition of pottery making.
The expansion was also touted at the time as an investment in Buncombe County’s creative and advanced manufacturing economy. The Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County said the county’s creative sector supported more than 9,000 jobs and generated more than $1.1 billion in revenue in 2024.
Tuesday’s public hearing is the next step in the county incentive process. Commissioners will be asked to approve the incentives and the economic development agreement with East Fork.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meets Tuesday, Oct. 6.
