Highland Industries Inc., a high-performance textile manufacturer in Kernersville, N.C., has invested $8.25 million to establish a 62,000-square-foot composites operation in Statesville, N.C. The new facility will manufacture composite preforms using braiding, standard textile processes and resin transfer molding or fusion. The Composites Division will make parts and assemblies for aerospace, automotive, industrial and sporting goods applications, using materials such as carbon fiber, aramid and fiberglass in its composite performs. The Statesville facility will house $4 million in new equipment, including braiding and filament winding machines, autoclaves, ovens and Gerber cutting tables. It will be fully operational by October 2014.