Byline: Roger Harris

Oct. 4--Toho Tenax America will announce today a $23 million expansion of its Rockwood manufacturing plant.

The expansion will solidify the carbon fiber maker's presence in Roane County, the Roane Alliance said in a Wednesday news release.

"Toho Tenax is retooling the plant to stay competitive in the carbon fiber market," Leslie Henderson, president and CEO of the Roane Alliance, Roane County's economic development agency, said in a statement.

This is the second major capital investment in the Rockwood plant since Toho Tenax bought the Fortafil Fiber factory in 2004 from Netherlands-based Acordis. Toho Tenax previously spent about $14 ...