Senior Senator for North Carolina sponsors funding for revitalization of manufacturing infrastructure that supports employment opportunities for individuals that are blind and disabled.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — IFB Solutions, the largest employer of people who are blind in the U.S., thanks Sen. Thom Tillis for his leadership in securing federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process to help offset the costs of revitalizing critical manufacturing infrastructure in the state of North Carolina.

The funding secured through the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill will be used to improve and expand manufacturing facilities in the Winston-Salem area that support the Department of Defense through the AbilityOne program. The project includes an approximately 25,000-square-foot expansion of IFB’s campus, safety and traffic improvements to support employees who are blind and rely on public transportation, enhanced access for commercial freight, and modernization of warehousing and production space. The investment will also allow IFB to consolidate its greater Winston-Salem operations into a unified master campus, strengthening supply chain reliability and operational efficiency. Overall, the project will increase capacity, support long-term job stability, and reinvest federal dollars into North Carolina’s workforce and economy, sustaining and expanding 452 jobs, including 192 for residents who are visually impaired.

“We are deeply grateful to Sen. Tillis for his long-standing support for IFB Solutions and the AbilityOne program,” said Dan Kelly, president and CEO of IFB Solutions. “His support for this funding will ensure that North Carolina continues to be a leading supplier of over 920,000 mission critical protective and base layer garments to our armed services annually, in addition to supporting the delivery of over $78 million in federal contracts throughout the area.”

The AbilityOne Program is the largest single source of employment for people who are blind or who have significant disabilities in the U.S., supporting employees at 405 nonprofits in more than 1,000 locations across the country, through contracts with 40 government agencies. Nonprofit organizations participating in the program are contracted to supply more than $4.4 billion in products and services to the U.S. government. Through its participation in the AbilityOne Program, IFB Solutions has held long-standing contracts with the Department of Defense to manufacture uniforms and field equipment for the U.S. military, providing both critical supplies for U.S. service members and meaningful employment for people who are blind.

ABOUT IFB SOLUTIONS®

IFB Solutions is a nonprofit corporation and AbilityOne® agency founded in 1936 as Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind. IFB builds life-changing opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired in a workforce segment that remains significantly underemployed. IFB serves federal, military, state, and commercial customers through packaging and assembly, including products offered through its Amazon.com storefront, advanced textile manufacturing, Base Supply Center operations, and professional services, including call center staffing. Its integrated employment model emphasizes upwardly mobile career pathways supported by vocational training, skills development, and wraparound career services that promote long-term economic independence. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, IFB operates nationwide. Learn more at ifbsolutions.org.

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