RALEIGH
RALEIGH Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that PreGel AMERICA Inc., a leading manufacturer of specialty dessert ingredients, will expand operations at its facility in Concord. The project is expected to create 48 jobs and the company expects to invest $11.4 million in the facility. The expansion was made possible in part by a $67,500 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“My top priority is creating jobs, both by bringing new companies to North Carolina and helping existing ones grow and thrive,” Gov. Perdue said. “Specialty manufacturers like PreGel know that they will find an educated, well-trained workforce and a top-rated business climate because of our history of investing in education and critical infrastructure.”
PreGel is the largest manufacturer and distributor of ingredients for specialty desserts such as gelato, sorbetto and frozen yogurt. The company is headquartered in Reggio Emilia, Italy and was founded in 1967 by Luciano Rabboni. PreGel AMERICA, the U.S. division of PreGel, currently employs 80 people in Concord. The expansion will help facilitate future growth opportunities.
Salaries will vary by job function, but the minimum average annual wage for the new jobs is estimated to be $40,500, plus benefits. The Cabarrus County average annual wage is $32,448.
“This is a very exciting time for us,” said Marco Casol, president and CEO of PreGel AMERICA. “We are growing and extremely pleased to be able to support that growth, both structurally and strategically. Our new expansion project will allow us to add space and resources to better innovate and refine our operations.”
The One North Carolina 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, laying the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.
Through the use of the One North Carolina Fund, more than 55,000 jobs and $11 billion in investments have been created since 2001. Other partners that helped with this project include the N. C. Department of Commerce, N. C. Community Colleges, Cabarrus Economic Development, Cabarrus County and the City of Concord.
For more information about PreGel AMERICA, including job opportunities, please visit www.pregelamerica.com.
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