Lincoln County commissioners on Monday approved tax incentives to encourage construction of a proposed $3.5 million expansion of RSI Home Products. The 100,000 square foot expansion will mean at least 30 jobs paying about $9 an hour, said Barry Matherly, executive director of the county’s Economic Development Association. RSI already employs 512 at its $7.5 million East Coast distribution center and at a manufacturing plant in downtown Lincolnton. RSI, Lincoln County’s fourth largest business, manufactures bathroom and kitchen fixtures. The company plans to expand thanks to recent success selling its products at Lowe’s Home Improvement stores and Home Depot, Matherly said. Officials with the Anaheim, California based company did not return calls seeking comment. RSI moved to Lincoln County in 1998, opening a 300,000 square foot manufacturing plant in downtown Lincolnton. The 320,000 square foot, East Coast distribution center in the Lincoln County Industrial Park followed in 2001. The proposed $3.5 million expansion will add distribution and assembly capabilities at that site on Finger Mill Road. The county offered RSI $64,480 over five years in tax rebates if the expansion is built, said Matherly. RSI is reviewing the offer, he said, and is expected to respond in the next week. “It’s a great company, and they are promising more jobs,” said county commissioner Larry Craig. “In order to be competitive in today’s world you have to have some kind of an incentive package. We’re using incentives to build our tax base.” The county has been offering tax-rebate incentives to new and existing businesses for five years, Matherly said. The county offered RSI Home Products $36,900 per year for five years for the $7.5 million expansion, Matherly said. And in June, the county approved $250,000 in rebates to The Timken Co. for a $16.3 million expansion. It also gave Cataler North America and Robb & Stucky incentives to invest in the county. “If you’re a new company or you are expanding and you’re going to invest over $1 million, the county can apply the incentive program,” Matherly said. “When all the companies come in we always encourage them to plan for expansion.”