Press Releases

DMA Industries, LLC, a supplier of aftermarket automotive and heavy duty replacement parts, will expand and modernize its distribution operations in Columbus County, creating 21 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $1.27 million in its warehouse and distribution facility in Tabor City.

The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved 10 grant requests to local governments totaling $2,080,000, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The requests include commitments to create a total of 316 jobs, 21 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $40.8 million in private investment.

Today, Governor Cooper announced that Millwork & Panel LLC, a residential siding manufacturer, will create 48 new jobs in Catawba County. The company will invest more than $14.3 million over the next three years to expand its vinyl siding operations in the City of Claremont.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 84 of North Carolina’s counties in October 2023, decreased in five, and remained unchanged in 11. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 5.9 percent while Swain County had the lowest at 2.6 percent. Fourteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases and one remained unchanged. Among the metro areas, Fayetteville and Rocky Mount each had the highest rate at 4.5 percent while Asheville had the lowest at 2.8 percent. The not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.3 percent.

Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders of the North Carolina Department of Commerce sent a letter to the North Carolina Congressional delegation on Monday calling for deferment of the Internal Revenue Code Section 174's amortization requirement concerning research and experimentation expenditures.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce released the county tier designations for 2024 today. The designations, which are mandated by state law, play a role in several programs that assist in economic development.

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP), a lithium-ion battery pouch manufacturer, will create 352 new jobs in Davidson County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $233 million to build its first U.S. advanced manufacturing facility in the City of Linwood.Governor Cooper met with DNP Executives on his economic development trip to Tokyo in October. The Governor discussed the growing clean energy sector in North Carolina and encouraged DNP to choose Davidson County.

The state’s seasonally adjusted October 2023 unemployment rate was 3.4 percent, unchanged from September’s revised rate. The national rate increased 0.1 of a percentage point to 3.9 percent.North Carolina’s unemployment rate decreased 0.5 of a percentage point from a year ago. The number of people employed increased 5,231 over the month to 5,093,141 and increased 132,990 over the year. The number of people unemployed increased 2,815 over the month to 179,425 and decreased 23,098 over the year.

Applications are now being accepted for a new round of grantmaking from the One North Carolina Small Business Program, a key source of capital for North Carolina’s emerging technology companies.“The One North Carolina Small Business Program provides critical support to some of our state’s most promising new companies,” said North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Machelle Baker Sanders. “Recent enhancements to the program open the door for even more tech entrepreneurs to grow their companies in North Carolina.”

Forge Nano, Inc., a leading materials science company that enables peak performance products through atomic-level surface engineering, intends to launch a new lithium-ion battery business, called Forge Battery, in Wake County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company and its investors plan for an initial investment of more than $165 million to build a lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant in Morrisville bringing hundreds of high-paying clean energy jobs to the state. Forge Battery expects the facility to be operational in 2026.