Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Tasz Inc. will create 21 jobs in Caldwell County. The company plans to create the jobs and invest $2.2 million in Lenoir during the next three years. The project was made possible in part by a $42,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“Today’s announcement is another example of why North Carolina is gaining national attention for creating new jobs,” Perdue said. “Our skilled workers, custom training programs and first rate business climate are drawing companies nationwide looking for the best location to succeed. Creating jobs is my number one priority and North Carolina continues to be attractive to strong, growing manufacturing companies.”
Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $29,833, not including benefits. The Caldwell County average annual wage is $28,340.
Tasz Inc. acquired the assets of NeoCork Technologies with existing operations in California, Canada and Europe. Dr. Chakra V. Gupta, president and owner of PolyChem Alloy Inc. (PCA) and Tasz Inc., will establish Tasz operations in conjunction with PCA at the Lenoir Industrial Park, resulting in a more efficient production process. A 60,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility will be built to house Tasz, which will develop, produce and market synthetic closures for the wine and spirits industry. PCA will provide raw materials for the manufacturing process. Tasz will be doing business under its brand name, NeoCork.
“Caldwell County is a central location for serving the wine industries in the eastern and northeastern U.S., Canada, South America and Europe,” said Dr. Gupta. “North Carolina has been a leader in manufacturing of extruded plastic parts, therefore an existing skilled workforce is available. After evaluating locations in California and Europe, we determined that Caldwell County and Lenoir provided ideal place to establish the TASZ Inc investment. The assistance and aid of local officials and the Department of Commerce facilitated this decision.”
The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches.
North Carolina continues to have a top-ranked business climate. Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state works aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain its workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.
Through use of the One NC Fund, more than 40,000 jobs and $7 billion in investment have been created since 2001. Other partners that helped with this project include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, Caldwell County and the Caldwell County Economic Development Commission.
For more information about Tasz, including job opportunities with the company, please contact the Human Resources Department at 828.754.7570, ext. 226, or go to www.neocork.com.