Davidson County In Running For Major Employer

BY PAUL JOHNSON, HIGH POINT ENTERPRISE

POSTED: 8:40 am EDT October 15, 2010

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DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. -- An employer that could bring 350 manufacturing-related jobs to Davidson County may make a decision on where the company will locate its operation by the end of this year, an economic recruiter said Thursday.The unidentified employer, dubbed Project Maple, is considering locations in other states, such as Georgia, and a foreign nation, said Steve Googe, executive director with the Davidson County Economic Development Commission. The Davidson County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing Nov. 9 to discuss incentives for the employer, which would make a $20 million investment in its operation.County economic recruiters have been negotiating with the employer for about two years, Googe said.If Davidson County lands the employer, it would be the third recent major recruiting victory for county officials.Late last month, Timco Aviation Services announced plans to expand to the former Tyco plant in Wallburg, which will lead to the creation of 500 jobs. Greensboro-based Timco will make airline passenger seats and aircraft interior systems. On Wednesday, St. Louis-based Sav-A-Lot announced it will build a distribution center in Lexington, initially creating 43 jobs.The recent series of expansion announcements in Davidson County and other communities, such as High Point, reflect an improving business climate coming out of the recession, Gov. Beverly Perdue’s office indicates. The governor’s office announced Thursday that Forbes magazine ranked North Carolina as its third-ranked Best State for Business in America.While the state still continues to suffer from fallout from the worst recession since the Great Depression, North Carolina’s statewide jobless rate has declined from 11.1 percent in January to 9.7 percent in August.Citing the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the governor’s office reports North Carolina ranks third among the 50 states for declining unemployment and fourth in the nation for job creation during the past year.The governor’s office indicates the state has secured commitments for 30,000 new jobs since last year, as well as $5.6 billion in investments.