A fourth-generation canopy maker based in Matthews is eyeing Monroe for a roughly $40 million manufacturing campus that would anchor a new headquarters and add about 35 jobs while keeping most of its existing workforce in the region. The project, branded as Project Canopy, calls for a 366,000-square-foot plant in Union County’s industrial park off Goldmine Road that would house design, sales, manufacturing and distribution under one very large roof. City and county leaders have slated hearings and incentive votes this week as they hash out land conveyance details and grant terms.
Project Canopy targets county industrial park
County documents identify McGee Corporation as the company behind Project Canopy. The Matthews-based firm has negotiated to buy roughly 60.97 acres off Goldmine Road and plans to construct a 366,000-square-foot facility with an estimated capital investment near $40 million. Union County notes the purchase price was adjusted to about $4.14 million because of wetlands and encroachments on the site. As outlined in Union County records, McGee has been in talks with economic development staff since late 2024 and intends to turn the property into a larger, state-of-the-art campus.
City hearing and incentives on the table
The City of Monroe plans a public hearing on Tuesday at 6 p.m. to consider a Level IV economic development grant tied to Project Canopy. The city’s legal notice pegs the potential award at no more than $748,000, paid over five years based on the facility’s appraised value. That notice links the proposed grant to the project’s approximately $40 million investment and the creation of 35 new jobs, and it lays out projected tax revenue and conditions attached to the incentive package. The full agenda and backup documents are posted in the City of Monroe notice.
Who McGee is and who it serves
McGee Corporation bills itself as an engineered-to-order canopy systems manufacturer that operates a 175,000-square-foot facility in Matthews and supplies fuel-canopy and architectural projects across the country, according to the company’s website. Reporting by the Charlotte Business Journal notes that clients connected to McGee include Buc‑ee’s, Sheetz, Amazon and Courtyard by Marriott. County filings indicate McGee currently employs about 163 people locally. The expansion would retain most of those positions while adding roughly 35 new roles that carry average pay in the low-to-mid $60,000s, according to the local records.
Why local leaders pushed to ready the site
Monroe has spent the past year getting industrial land teed up for exactly this kind of proposal. In 2025, the city landed a $440,200 state site-readiness grant to cover utility and environmental work at nearby industrial parks. City and county economic development officials have argued that build-ready land and tightly targeted incentives are crucial if Monroe wants to land precision-manufacturing projects that bring above-average wages and spin-off supplier activity. Earlier coverage of that site work is available in Hoodline’s report on the $440,200 state grant.
What happens next
Residents will have a chance to weigh in during Tuesday evening’s hearing in City Hall’s council chambers, and they can review the proposed agreements ahead of time at the city clerk’s office. If Monroe and Union County sign off on the land sale and approve the incentive deals, county materials indicate grant payments would begin in fiscal year 2028 and construction could start after permitting and site-preparation work are complete. Final approval depends on council votes, any tweaks that emerge after public comment and the closing steps spelled out in the county’s conveyance documents.
