Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Noranda Aluminum Holding Corp will expand its Norandal USA plant in Salisbury. The company plans to create 25 jobs and invest $7 million. The project was made possible in part by a $108,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“This is great news for Rowan County – and the second time this week we have announced expansions there,” said Gov. Perdue. “Companies know they have a workforce they can count on and a highly motivated team of economic development partners, as well as a state that will support their growth and success.”
Norandal USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Noranda, includes the company’s rolling-mills business. Rolling mills, such as the one in Salisbury, take aluminum and roll it into metal sheets and foil for commercial use. The grant-supported expansion will allow the company to update machinery and increase capacity.
Salaries will vary by job function, but the annual average wage for the new jobs will be $43,097 not including benefits. The Rowan County average annual wage is $35,048. The company currently employs 163 in Salisbury.
“Noranda is excited to have this opportunity to expand our footprint in Salisbury, Rowan County and the State of North Carolina,” said Mike Fox, plant manager of the Salisbury facility. “In particular, Noranda would like to acknowledge our strong relationship with our Salisbury workforce, their commitment to continuous improvement that enabled Noranda to make this type of investment, and the guidance and direction that the RowanWorks Economic Development team provided.”
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 on local matches.
“This terrific news for Rowan County shows that we are following the right strategy to create jobs in North Carolina,” said Rep. Lorene Coates, of Salisbury. “Our investments in education, transportation and infrastructure have created the kind of climate where businesses want to move and grow.”
Perdue announced Tuesday that Boral Composites Inc., a sister company to Boral Bricks in East Spencer, will open a plant there to produce a new “green” product line for homebuilding. The company plans to create 25 jobs and invest $12.8 million. That project was made possible in part by a $50,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
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 System, Rowan County, City of Salisbury and Duke Energy.
For more information about Noranda and Norandal USA, please go to http://www.norandaaluminum.com/norandal-usa.php. Company officials said job listings would be posted later this year through the local newspaper and via the Rowan County JobLink Career Center, http://www.centralinaworks.com/Website/JobLinks/Rowan/index.asp.