Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Solaris Industries Inc., an international manufacturer of steel tubing, will locate a new facility in Cleveland County. The company plans to invest $3.2 million and create 40 jobs during the next three years in Kings Mountain. The announcement was made possible in part by a $50,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“Creating jobs continues to be my number one priority,” said Gov Perdue. “North Carolina is attractive to international companies looking for the perfect place to expand because of our skilled, dedicated workforce and our top-notch business climate.”
Solaris Industries is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delhi Solac Inc. of Canada. The company produces steel tubing for use in furniture, greenhouses, fencing, store displays, scaffolding, recreational equipment, garage doors and the restaurant, hospital and automotive industries.
The company plans to open a new manufacturing facility in Kings Mountain to better serve an expanding U.S. market. While salaries will vary by job function, the new positions will pay an average annual wage of $32,080, not including benefits, which is higher than the Cleveland County average annual wage of $31,200.
“We are very excited to open our first manufacturing facility in the U.S. We chose North Carolina and Cleveland County over other areas in light of its strategic location to serve our growing customer base, its excellent access to transportation, and what is known as a qualified labor pool,” said Denis Boulais, president and CEO of Delhi-Solac Inc. “The incentives offered are making this expansion plan financially viable for us, and we are quite impressed by the coordinated effort and level of cooperation between state, county and local governments, as well as their partners.”
The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches.
North Carolina continues to have a top-ranked business climate. Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state will work aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain its workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.
Through use of the One NC Fund, more than 40,000 jobs and $7 billion in investment have been created since 2001. Other project partners include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Department of Revenue, Cleveland County, the City of Kings Mountain, Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership, Cleveland Community College, and Duke Energy.
For more details on Solaris, go to www.solaris-industries.com. For information about job opportunities with the company, please send an e-mail to careers@solaris-industries.com, attention Mr. Gill Poirier, Human Resources.