ABB Selects North Carolina Facility For $40M Expansion

The global industrial company will create more than 400 jobs at its current facility in Mebane, NC.

ABB, Inc., a global leader in electrification products, robotics, and industrial automation, will expand its current facility in Mebane, North Carolina, creating more than 400 jobs in Orange County and investing up to $39.9 million to upgrade equipment and increase the size of its plant.

ABB Inc. Mebane, North Carolina
(Photo: ABB, Inc.)

“ABB is a global company with a strong, local footprint. That means we think globally on a strategic level and hire and grow locally,” said Greg Scheu, ABB president Americas region. “Our U.S. headquarters in Cary, North Carolina, is strategically important to ABB. In fact, ABB employs more people in North Carolina, well over 3,000, than in any other state. This expansion in Mebane is further proof of our commitment to the region.”

With global headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, and its U.S. headquarters in Cary, NC, ABB is known for its customer-focused, globally leading businesses in the areas of electrification, industrial automation, motion, robotics and discrete automation, and power grids. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees worldwide.

“Companies like ABB expanding their manufacturing operations means jobs and investment that benefit communities well beyond the walls of its facility,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. “North Carolina will work to grow our education programs and improve workforce preparation so that companies continue to choose to grow and invest across our state.”

The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) led the state’s support for ABB’s decision.

The Orange County project will be supported, in part, by a state Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG). Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by more than $1 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the 403 new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $4.4 million spread over 12 years after the company has met incremental job creation and investment targets.

Because ABB chose a location in Orange County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 3, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving as much as $1.45 million into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business.

“North Carolina is committed to remaining a leader in manufacturing and companies recognize our potential to grow with them,” said state Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland. “Leading our list of strengths is the North Carolina workforce, which provides the skills companies need for advanced manufacturing operations.”

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