North Carolina's manufacturing sector witnessed a significant boost as Governor Josh Stein announced the creation of 330 new jobs through the expansion of Prolec-GE Waukesha, Inc.'s production facility in Goldsboro. The company, a major player in the power transformers manufacturing industry, plans to inject $140 million to build a second manufacturing installation at its existing site. This move is set to foster the state's standing as a hub of manufacturing across diverse sectors, as reported by the Governor's office.
Investor-owned utilities, co-ops, and various other industrial sites rely on Prolec GE Waukesha's high-quality power transformers. The subsidiary of GE Prolec Transformers, Inc., this venture is a collaboration between Xignux and GE Vernova, and it calls Waukesha, Wisconsin its headquarters. Encouraged by the increasing demand for power grid capacity, the company is doubling down on its Goldsboro facility, with plans to enhance production volume of medium power transformers. According to a statement obtained by the Governor's office, Juan Ignacio Garza Herrera, the CEO of Xignux and chairman of Prolec GE, emphasized the importance of collaboration between government, industry, and community leaders to propel manufacturing growth.
In an expression of faith in the state's workforce and business development environment, Prolec GE's expansion will leverage North Carolina's infrastructure improvements, workforce training, and recruitment tools. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley highlighted that "another energy company is deepening its roots in North Carolina" is not happenstance, but a result of concerted efforts to attract growing companies throughout the state, as mentioned in the official announcement of the NC Governor's office.
The new jobs coming to Wayne County are expected to offer an annual salary averaging $71,912, well above the county's average salary. These positions are set to add an annual payroll of over $23.7 million to the local economy. Through the establishment of a new state-of-the-art plant, equipped with sophisticated equipment and backed by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG), Prolec GE's North Carolina operations will be instrumental, as they detailed in the announcement by the Governor's office. The JDIG could permit reimbursement to the company of up to $4,696,000 spread over 12 years, provided they meet job creation and investment targets.
Local officials, including Senator Buck Newton and Representative John R. Bell, IV, praised the collaborative efforts leading to this positive development, emphasizing the economic growth and stability it will bring to Eastern North Carolina. Newton, representing Wayne County, expressed solidarity with the company's growth and foresaw the project's potential benefits for reliable energy provisioning in America, according to the Governor's office announcement. Multiple partners including the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Investment Committee, and Wayne Community College, among others, contributed to bringing the project to fruition.
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