This grant provides funding to Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) to support efforts of GF Linamar, LLC to locate a light metal foundry in Henderson County. (GF Linamar, LLC is a new joint venture comprised of Linamar Corporation and GF Automotive.) The facility will produce high-pressure die cast products for the automobile industry. The company will create 350 new jobs with an average annual wage of $47,013 plus benefits, which is significantly higher than the county average. Golden LEAF funds will be used to purchase a high-pressure die casting cell that the college will use to train potential workers for GF Linamar and employees of other companies in the region. No other community college in the state has this type of training equipment and capability.
