[ad_1]
SALYSBURY – Chewy, an online pet food retailer and other pet supplies, will create an order processing center in Rowan County that will create 1,200 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper said Wednesday.
The 700,000-square-foot facility will be built on the Trevey site, located at the intersection of Long Ferry Road and Interstate 85 at Exit 81. The facility will represent an investment $ 55 million. A tax incentive agreement provides for the creation of 1,200 jobs by 2025, with steady increases in previous years. The average salary for jobs should be $ 28,388 per year. The jobs will bring benefits, according to the Rowan County Economic Development Commission.
Rod Crider, President and CEO of Rowan EDC, said that Chewy's projects represent the largest job advertisement ever made in the county's history.
"This project means more jobs, investment and momentum for our community, and we could not be more excited for the future," Crider said. "What's most appealing to us is that the 1,200 new jobs created by Chewy in the region will provide new opportunities for local job seekers and give more families in Rowan County the opportunity to realize their American dream. "
The projected employment figure would place Chewy among the three largest private companies in Rowan County, along with Food Lion and Daimler Trucks, according to EDC.
The inauguration of the works for the new Chewy facility will take place on May 2nd. Construction work should be completed in June 2020.
"Chewy chose North Carolina because, from our infrastructure to our workforce, we have everything companies need to succeed," Cooper said in a press release. "These new jobs will have a positive impact on Rowan County and surrounding areas."
Rowan County Commission Chair Greg Edds said local officials were honored and proud that Chewy chose Rowan. Other sites considered were in South Carolina and Georgia. Edds said the announcement would keep Rowan County "in the right direction".
"We are grateful to them for creating 1,200 new jobs for families in Rowan County, and I congratulate them on their success," said Edds.
Chewy, owned by PetSmart, has its dual headquarters located near Miami – in Dania Beach, Florida – and Boston, according to its website. The company has distribution centers from Arizona to Pennsylvania.
First contact
The opportunity began to materialize about a year ago when NorthPoint Development of Kansas City made contact with the Rowan County Economic Development Commission. Chewy was the company for which NorthPoint was looking for land. She was not aware until about two months ago, Crider said.
"In a highly competitive multi-state development, Rowan County and the state of North Carolina came in first," said Ian McDonald, vice president of development at NorthPoint. "At the end of the day, the bottom line is simply that a great company, Chewy.com, is investing in a great community, Rowan County."
Crider said Rowan County was attractive to Chewy because of the availability of potential employees, the proximity of the site being Charlotte, the Triad and Piedmont. Long Ferry Road, the project site, is the latest interstate exit before the Yadkin and Rowan-Davidson River county line for motorists heading north on I-85.
The interest of local officials for Chewy was reinforced after hearing an article about the company's reaction to the death of a dog belonging to the family of Rowan County Planning Director Ed Muire.
Muire said that Chewy had contacted his family after changing his "automatic shipping" feature. Muire said that his family had to "slaughter" their dog, Cicero, February 15th. The following week, Muire's family received condolence flowers of Chewy. Muire shared her experience with other pet owners, who told her about similar experiences in customer service.
Crider said the action had shown that the company had the same values as the local community.
Tax incentives
Rowan County is supporting the project with a $ 2.3 million tax incentive and a $ 400,000 equipment grant. These performance-based incentives require the company to achieve its employment goals before incentives are granted. Under a 10-year incentive agreement, Chewy is expected to create 750 jobs in the second year, 1,000 in the fourth year and 1,250 jobs in the sixth year. If the company does not meet its objectives, the agreement on incentives could be reduced proportionately.
Rowan County has also applied for an overall community development grant of $ 1.5 million for the installation of a sewer line to service the construction site.
The state has awarded a performance-based grant of $ 166,650. Duke Energy Corp., through its Carolinas investment fund, has provided additional funds for the project.
The execution operation will be the first of Chewy in North Carolina and the ninth of the country.
"We greatly appreciate the partnership with Rowan County, the Rowan EDC, the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the North Carolina Economic Development Partnership," said Pete Krilles, Vice President of Chewy for North Carolina. Real estate and facilities. "We hope to make a positive economic contribution to the region by creating 1,200 new jobs."
Companies like Chewy are going to be successful in North Carolina because the state has a strong workforce and a favorable business climate, said Secretary of Commerce Anthony M. Copeland.
"Combine that with our location and our quality of life and you get a winning formula," Copeland said in a press release.
Contact journalist Liz Moomey at 704-797-4222.
[ad_2]
Source link