Today Governor Josh Stein announced SteelFab, Inc., a steel fabrication company, will add 38 new jobs in Cumberland County. The company will invest more than $19 million to expand operations in Fayetteville.
“North Carolina is a place where businesses like SteelFab can grow,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Cumberland County is home to a world-class workforce, legacy of manufacturing excellence, and convenient East Coast location. We’re grateful that SteelFab is doubling down on Cumberland.”
SteelFab is among the nation’s largest structural steel fabricators, operating 15 facilities and 17 offices across the United States. Each week, SteelFab uses the latest technology to fabricate up to 2,000 tons of material, which is then assembled and fabricated to serve commercial and industrial projects. The facility will add 108,000 square feet of space that will include three fabrication bays, two prep bays, two shape lines, an office, and a break room.
“SteelFab looks forward to substantially growing our business in Fayetteville,” said Rob Burlington, Region President of SteelFab, Inc. “The grants from Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Commission (FCEDC) and the State of North Carolina were extremely helpful in helping us realize our goal of a new manufacturing facility and growing workforce. We are excited to continue our tradition as a North Carolina-founded privately owned steel manufacturer supplying projects in communities across the state and the East Coast.”
“Fayetteville offers a uniquely skilled workforce with its transitioning military personnel and veterans,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “This expansion of a homegrown company represents the best of North Carolina as it creates more opportunities in Cumberland County and beyond.”
While wages vary by position, the annual average salary for the new positions will be $70,106, exceeding Cumberland County’s average of $47,175. These new jobs could potentially create an annual payroll impact of more than $2.6 million for the region.
A performance-based grant of $125,000 from the One North Carolina Fund awarded to SteelFab of Virginia, Inc. will help the company expand in North Carolina. The OneNC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and to create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All OneNC grants require matching participation from local governments, and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.
“SteelFab could have made this investment anywhere, but they chose Cumberland County,” said N.C. Senator Val Applewhite. “The future is bright for this company, and we stand ready to support them in this next phase of growth.”
“This increased investment in Fayetteville is not only in our infrastructure but also in our people,” said N.C. Representative Charles Smith. “We appreciate all the economic development professionals and leaders on the local and state levels who have helped the company with its decision to expand in our community.”
In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, the North Carolina Community College System, Fayetteville Tech Community College, Cumberland County, the City of Fayetteville, and the Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation.