Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that BRP, a leading manufacturer of motorized recreational vehicles, will expand its operations in Mitchell County. The company plans to create 70 jobs and invest $1.1 million over the next three years in Spruce Pine. The project was made possible in part by a $210,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“Advanced manufacturers like BRP want to move to North Carolina or expand here because our state’s investments in education and job training have created a workforce that is second to none,” Gov. Perdue said. “Those investments helped create a strong business climate that continues to help create new jobs.”
Bombardier Recreational Products Inc., a privately held company, is a global leader in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of motorized recreational vehicles. Its portfolio of brands and products includes Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft and boats, Evinrude and Johnson outboard engines, Can-Am all-terrain and side-by-side vehicles and roadsters, as well as Rotax engines. The company currently employs more than 160 people at its Spruce Pine facility, which makes aluminum castings and provides foam models for outside customers in the automotive, trucking, railroad, construction and alternative energy industries.
Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $37,660, plus benefits. The Mitchell County average annual wage is $30,160.
"Our Spruce Pine facility is a world class competitor," said Frank Bailey, Director, Powertrain US, BRP. "The grant from the government of North Carolina, along with BRP's capital investment, will help bring this facility's infrastructure and labor force on par with its vision."
"BRP products are the best in the world, and many of our engine components are built right here in North Carolina. We look forward to expanding our lost foam casting business and bring this excellence to other industries and markets," he concluded.
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 60,000 jobs and $11 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, Mitchell County, Town of Spruce Pine, AdvantageWest and the Mitchell County Economic Development Commission.
For more information about BRP, including job opportunities, go to www.brp.com.