Gov. Bev Perdue has announced that Siemens Energy Inc. will expand its gas turbine operations in Charlotte, NC. The company plans to add 825 jobs and invest at least $135 million over the next five years, the Asheville Citizen-Times reports. The expansion was supported by state grants from the Job Development Investment Grant program and One North Carolina Fund.
“Creating jobs is my No. 1 priority and this expansion of hundreds of well-paying jobs for North Carolinians is a big win,” said Gov. Perdue. “Our knowledge-based workforce and our top business climate continue to be attractive to globally-competitive companies looking to expand and locate.”
Siemens Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens AG , plans to expand its Westinghouse Boulevard campus and relocate gas turbine manufacturing operations from a plant in Ontario, Canada. The company also previously announced plans to add additional office space for new engineers in Charlotte as it creates a global production hub for manufacturing and related functions for the supply of its gas and steam turbines and generators to markets around the world.
The overall average wage for the 825 new jobs will be almost $64,000 a year, not including benefits. That is higher than the Mecklenburg County average of $48,776. The company currently employs 777 workers at the Charlotte site, and more than 60,000 in the United States.
“The U.S. is Siemens’ largest market, and this latest strategic business decision further emphasizes our commitment to expand and continue to invest in our U.S. presence. We already supply the power systems that provide one third of the nation’s electricity, and through this expansion in Charlotte, we will be able to continue bringing efficient and competitive power-generation options to customers around the world,” said Michael Suess, CEO of Siemens Energy’s Fossil Power Generation Division.
“We’ve had a presence in the Charlotte area and in other areas in North Carolina for decades, and it was our first-hand knowledge of the excellent business environment here that convinced us to expand our investment further. We owe many thanks to the State of North Carolina for its ongoing dedication to our business success.”
Other partners who assisted with this project include: the N.C. departments of Commerce and Transportation, N.C. Community Colleges, the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, N.C. Employment Security Commission, Charlotte Chamber, Norfolk Southern and Duke Energy.
