Caterpillar Grows in Lee County, NC
Caterpillar Inc. will enlarge its Sanford plant in Lee County, NC and create 325 jobs over the next four years. A Caterpillar supplier will also come to the city bringing 160 jobs. The $28 million expansion is expected to be complete by July of 2011 with new jobs paying an average annual wage of $35,602.
Caterpillar is the world’s largest maker of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines. The Sanford development will include a 270,000-square-foot building addition providing additional capacity to meet the growing demand for skid loaders used in landscaping and construction.
Michael Walden, an economist with N.C. State says that Sanford offers an abundance of skilled labor and is connected to a good transportation network that allows the factory to supply businesses on the East Coast.
This is the latest in a string of investments announced recently by the 13-county Research Triangle Region, which is home to The Research Triangle Park (RTP), the three urban core counties of Durham, Orange and Wake and the 10 rural counties of Chatham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Person, Vance and Warren.
In 2010, new and expanding companies announced more than $233 million in capital investments in those 10 counties for projects expected to create 675 jobs over the next few years. That follows more than $316 million in investments and 1,240 new jobs announced in those counties during 2009.
Caterpillar’s decision has broad implications for the Research Triangle Region, as the company can receive as much as $8 million in state and local incentives if it meets hiring goals in Sanford and retains at least 739 existing jobs at its factories in Clayton and Sanford. The company must also keep 86 administrative jobs in Cary or move them elsewhere in North Carolina.
ATG Access Gears Up Transition to Harnett County
ATG Access Inc., a UK based company that came to Harnett County, NC in 2009, announced that they have acquired the vehicle barrier and gate division of the Canadian Allen-Vanguard Corporation. ATG will fully transition the business from Canada to their facility in Lillington, NC. The company will remain at eight employees, but 2,000 square feet of space at its Lillington site has been identified for future expansion related to this acquisition.
“They assured us there would be room for our expansion here in Harnett County,” CEO Ray Barnett says, “and they certainly have supported us. This acquisition comes on the back of strong performance for almost two years, since we came to the U.S. and to Harnett County.”
ATG Access Inc. engineers and produces High Impact Vehicle Security Barriers (HIVB), Traffic Bollard Systems and Manual Bollard Ram Raid deterrent bollards. These are used worldwide in most major cities and in venues such as airports, sports stadiums and government buildings.
“Our products and services are in great demand in the European, Gulf, Americas and Asian markets, and this acquisition will enable us to meet that demand,” says ATG Access President Glenn Cooper.
SAATI Brings 80 Jobs to Greenville County, SC
The South Carolina Department of Commerce and Greenville Area Development Corporation have announced that SAATI Americas Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Italy’s SAATI Group S.p.A., will establish its new U.S. Composites and Protection division operations and certain distribution operations in Greenville County. SAATI’s investment is expected to generate more than 80 new jobs within the next few years.
The company has purchased and plans to immediately begin renovations to a formerly vacant 260,000-square-foot facility, located at 201 Fairview Street Ext. in Fountain Inn. Renovations will include extensive facility modifications and installation of new production and R&D equipment.
“This expansion is a critical component of SAATI’s global corporate strategy and symbolizes our commitment to bring SAATI’s engineered materials and technical support to structural composite and protective armor product manufacturers in the Americas,” said Alberto Novarese, president of SAATI Group S.p.A.
