Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Turbotec Products Inc., an international supplier of heat exchangers and heat transfer products for the heating, refrigeration and geothermal markets, will greatly expand its presence in Catawba County. The company will move the bulk of its manufacturing operations from Connecticut to Hickory, adding 73 jobs and investing $6.5 million in the next three years. The project was made possible in part by a $76,500 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“North Carolina continues to build on its manufacturing tradition, bringing new industry and sustainable jobs for our skilled workforce,” Gov. Perdue said. “Our focus on job creation and worker training is one of the many things that attract quality businesses and investment to our state.”
Turbotec Products, headquartered in Connecticut, supplies specialized surface enhanced metal tubing for heat exchangers, refrigeration equipment and geothermal applications. Turbotec has clients around the world in the space conditioning, refrigeration, automotive, biomedical, plumbing, water heating and aerospace industries. The company, which currently has a manufacturing plant in Connecticut and a facility in Hickory that employs 16 workers, plans to expand in Catawba County by relocating to a larger facility in Hickory.
Salaries will vary by job function, but the annual average wage for the new jobs will be $37,403, not including benefits. That is above the Catawba County average annual wage of $32,500.
“Turbotec is excited about the expansion of its manufacturing presence in North Carolina,” said Sunil Raina, president of Turbotec. “We see the availability of a trained manufacturing workforce in Catawba County as a major plus for the company in the coming years. With this move, we will be better able to serve our expanding customer base, especially in the Southern United States.”
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 who helped with this project include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, N.C. Employment Security Commission’s Catawba County Office, Catawba County, City of Hickory, Catawba County Economic Development Corp., Duke Energy and Catawba Valley Community College.
For more information about Turbotec Products, including employment opportunities, go to: http://www.turbotecproducts.com/.