Initiative helps Davidson County land 770 jobs with wood materials supplier
Several hundred new jobs are headed to Davidson County thanks in part to the Golden LEAF’s Community Based Grantsmaking Initiative (CBGI), which helped extend public wastewater infrastructure improvements to the industrial site where a new company will locate.
In April and June 2017, Golden LEAF awarded a total of $20.8 million in grants through the CBGI to organizations serving the Southwest and Piedmont Triad Prosperity Zones, including a $1 million grant for infrastructure improvements at the Davidson County I-85 Corporate Center. In August, EGGER Wood Products announced it would open its first United States plant at the county-owned park.
“We are excited about the EGGER Group deciding to locate here in Davidson County,” said Zeb Hanner, Davidson County Manager. “This is one of the largest projects from Charlotte to Raleigh in the last 15 years. The company will invest $700 million and provid 770 jobs. This will not only help the citizens of Davidson County, but it will also be a good regional source for jobs for all the surrounding counties.”
The Austrian company supplies wood-based materials to the furniture, construction and flooring industries. EGGER will pay $40,000 in average wages for the new jobs, which is about 8.5 percent above Davidson County’s current average annual wage.
EGGER Wood Products will take up 200 acres of the 1,100-acre site, leaving room for future expansion.
Other projects awarded through the 2016-17 CBGI grant program in the Southwest and Piedmont Triad Prosperity Zones support economic development, education, workforce development, infrastructure and health care infrastructure, including the following:
- 14 workforce training programs
- 8 economic development grants projected to help create up to 2,800 new jobs and help retain 900 current positions
- 4 school districts implementing Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) projects
- 2 health care projects
- 1 infrastructure project
Counties in the Southwest Prosperity Zone are Anson, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, and Union. Counties in the Piedmont Triad Prosperity Zone are Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin.
Southwest and Piedmont Triad Grant Awards by Priority Area:
