Halifax County gets spurt of manufacturing jobs, after Cooper grants incentive money
The eastern North Carolina county of Halifax has seen an influx of manufacturing investments after Gov. Roy Cooper’s office awarded multiple grants to lure expansions to the county.
In the past month, Cooper’s office has announced that three separate manufacturers have agreed to hire more than 100 workers in Halifax after receiving money from the state’s One North Carolina Fund. The discretionary cash-grant program lets the governor’s office respond quickly to competitive economic development projects.
In total, the three manufacturers will create 171 jobs in Halifax County, and in return will receive a total of $525,000. All of the grants require a local match.
The three companies are rubber manufacturer AirBoss, plastic manufacturer JBB Packaging and food maker Reser’s Fine Foods.
Halifax County, north of Rocky Mount, has some of the highest unemployment in the state. In October, the month with the most recent data available, Halifax had an unemployment rate of 5.3 percent, with around 1,000 people looking for work, according to figures from the state’s Commerce Department. The state as a whole had a 3.6 percent unemployment rate in October.
The average wage in Halifax County is $31,839. In Wake County, for comparison, the average annual wage is $56,245.
Halifax County is one of 11 initial counties that are taking part in Cooper’s Hometown Strong initiative, which is focused on bringing jobs and infrastructure projects to rural counties. The program is meant to help rural communities cut through the state’s bureaucracies with a small team that will track down funding from state, federal and nonprofit sources.
“Manufacturing companies choose North Carolina because our workforce has the experience needed to get the job done,” Cooper said in a statement. “Communities like Halifax County have so much to offer — unique quality of life, easy access to major highways and a growing historic downtown. Through Hometown Strong, we’re getting rural North Carolina the resources it needs to sell these assets to more companies and help current industry thrive.”
▪ Canadian company AirBoss will create 42 new jobs and invest $5.2 million in the town of Scotland Neck, where workers will make rubber products for automotive and construction industries. The company has had operations in Scotland Neck since 2004. The average salary is expected to be $32,136 per year. The state will give the company $125,000 from the One North Carolina Fund for the project.
▪ Plastic packaging manufacturer JBB Packaging is creating 50 jobs And investing $11 million in the town of Weldon near Interstate 95. The average salary is expected to be $40,400 per year, and the state will give the company $150,000 from the One NC Fund.
▪ Reser’s Fine Foods will expand its facilities in Halifax County and create 79 new jobs, while investing $3.2 million. The plant, which has made tortillas since opening in 2010, pays an average salary of $35,325 per year. The state will give the company $250,000 from the One North Carolina Fund.
This story was originally published December 12, 2018 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Halifax County gets spurt of manufacturing jobs, after Cooper grants incentive money."
