Siemens Energy To Create 559 Jobs In North Carolina
Siemens' nearly $150M expansion project in Mecklenburg County will also add jobs in Wake County. In Bladen County, Sovereign Aerospace will invest $4.15M to manufacture, sell, and service personal aircraft.
Long-standing North Carolina employer Siemens Energy, Inc. will expand its Mecklenburg County operations, creating a total of 559 jobs. The $149.8 million project will establish the energy technology company’s first manufacturing site in the U.S., where it will build Large Power Transformers (LPTs), a critical component of the nation’s power grid. The expansion will also add jobs to the company’s engineering operations in Wake County.
“Manufacturing large power transformers in the United States will strengthen and expand our electrical grid to incorporate more renewable energy and meet growing energy demand,” said Tim Holt, Member of the Executive Board of Siemens Energy. “We are excited to do that in Charlotte, North Carolina where our existing factory and incredible team is answering the call of our customers and policymakers to help protect our nation’s energy and national security.”
An image of a large Power Transformer from Siemens Energy (Source: Siemens Energy)
Siemens Energy has been operating in the U.S. for more than 100 years and currently has 21 manufacturing and service facilities and upwards of 10,000 employees in the country. More than 1,250 employees are currently based in Charlotte.
“Siemens Energy is bringing even more great energy manufacturing jobs to the Charlotte community, and this latest expansion demonstrates once again their confidence in our state and its outstanding workforce,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “Bringing production of these high voltage transformers onshore not only creates American jobs but makes our electric grid more resilient and ready for the transition to clean energy.”
The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina supported the company during its site selection process. They worked with the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, the North Carolina Railroad Company, Duke Energy, Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, the Mecklenburg County Economic Development Office, and the City of Charlotte Economic Development Department.
“I’m excited to see this expansion by Siemens Energy, one of North Carolina’s most important existing manufacturing companies,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “Our state will continue to invest in the programs and tools that pay off in new jobs and private-sector investments, such as our world-class workforce development and training programs that win acclaim around the world.”
Siemens Energy’s project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) of up to $6.9 million spread over 12 years. Because the project is located in Mecklenburg County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 3, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving $2.3 million into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business.
Sovereign Aerospace Will Manufacture Aircraft In Bladen County
Aviation management company Sovereign Aerospace will invest $4.15 million to manufacture, sell, and service personal aircraft in Elizabethtown, NC. This first U.S. manufacturing plant will bring 33 new jobs to Bladen County.
“North Carolina continues to garner national attention as a leading state for aerospace manufacturing,” said Gov. Cooper. “With dynamic veteran-owned companies like Sovereign Aerospace expanding in Bladen County, our state has great potential to be a leader in aviation worldwide.”
Founded by retired Airforce Veteran Phillip “Slim” Thompson, Sovereign Aerospace was established in 2021 to provide pilot training, consulting services, aircraft brokering, and general aviation maintenance. The Moore County-based company strives to help veterans find community, learn new skills, and transition to civilian life.
(Source: Vulcanair)
Sovereign Aerospace subsidiaries include UAS Drone, Pinehurst Aces, Sandhills Fliers, Pinehurst Aviation Medical, Pinehurst Aviation Services, Veteran Transition Corps, Entrepreneurial Alliance and Sandhills Avionics. The company currently manages operations at the Curtis L. Brown, Jr. Airport, where it will locate the production facility for Vulcanair V1.0 aircraft, an Italian high-wing trainer, and personal aircraft. The site will manufacture, sell, and provide onsite maintenance of the high-demand Vulcanair aircraft. Sovereign Aerospace will be the first tenant of Bladen County’s new aviation park.
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“Sovereign Aerospace is excited to be an integral part in the development of the Elizabethtown Aerospace Industrial Park in Bladen County, North Carolina,” said Ken Hadaway, COO of Sovereign Aerospace. “Our partnership and collaboration with Ameravia, Inc., the sole-source importer of Vulcanair aircraft in the United States, has proven to be the cornerstone for expanding the footprint of aircraft manufacturing in North Carolina.
“We intend to engage the community with opportunities that exist today within the aviation industry,” he continued. “Through aviation training and job placement, we can mitigate the national shortfall of pilots and mechanics and help transition veterans and exiting active-duty military into careers within the aviation industry for anyone who is willing to pursue their dreams.”
A performance-based grant of $100,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help Sovereign Aerospace establish its manufacturing facility.
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