MCDOWELL COUNTY, N.C.,None — Gov. Bev Perdue joined executives from RockTenn and local officials on Thursday to announce that the maker of corrugated and consumer packaging and recycling solutions plans to expand its operations in Marion and create more than 100 new jobs.
The governor made the announcement at the Marion Depot, which was filled with city and county officials, economic leaders and numerous RockTenn employees. RockTenn plans to create 124 jobs and invest $23 million over the next 18 months, with a total investment of almost $30 million after five years. RockTenn also plans to move out of the current building at 33 Burgin St. and take over the former Swift Galey plant on U.S. 70 East, which has 300,000 square feet.
The project was made possible in part by a $372,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
"Growing corporations need trained, educated workers, and they know they can find them in North Carolina because of our long history of investing in education and job training," Perdue said in a prepared statement. "Those investments paved the way for RockTenn to bring new manufacturing jobs to an area hit hard by the economic recession. The company's commitment to McDowell County is another indication that the state and local economies are recovering."
Just prior to coming to the Marion Depot, Perdue took a tour of the current RockTenn building and met some of its workers. She said North Carolina would work just as hard to create 10 jobs as it would for 124.
"As governor of North Carolina, that is my No. 1 priority: jobs, jobs, jobs," she said to the crowd in the Depot. "A job is a job in this kind of economy. It's a big deal for North Carolina. These 124 jobs are really important jobs to 124 families as well as the economy of North Carolina."
Perdue presented Mike Kiepura, president of consumer packaging for RockTenn, with a North Carolina flag that he could fly on a flagpole at the company's headquarters in Georgia.
Based in Norcross, Ga., RockTenn is a leading producer of corrugated and consumer packaging products, serving a broad range of market segments, in particular cosmetics, personal care, pharmaceutical, food and household goods.
"We want to continue to be a good corporate citizen in Marion," said Kiepura.
County Manager Chuck Abernathy, who is also McDowell's economic development director, said he and other officials have worked on this project for two years. "We've not given up on manufacturing here in this county," he said.
Commission Chairman David Walker said he and the other commissioners matched, dollar for dollar, the One North Carolina Fund grant.
"McDowell County is ready for business," said Walker. "Jobs are our No. 1 priority."
Mayor Steve Little told the RockTenn employees that he was proud of them and their hard work too.
"If you didn't do superior work every day, the management of RockTenn would have looked someplace else," he said.
Little added that Marion still has some empty buildings and he would love for RockTenn to move its corporate headquarters here.
Butch Justice, chairman of the McDowell Economic Development Association, said his board is determined to recruit more and more industries to McDowell and assist the ones that are already here.
RockTenn will expand its McDowell County operation by moving to the old Swift Galey plant, which it already owns. Steve Harrell, general manager of the local RockTenn plant, said the entire 300,000-square-foot former Swift Galey building will be renovated. Meanwhile, the 110,000-square-foot RockTenn building at on Burgin Street will be for sale.
Abernathy said the county is now working with another company to take over the RockTenn building in downtown Marion. But like other pending projects, he declined to comment on this other company.
RockTenn plans to be up and running in the old Swift Galey building by the first of 2012. Individuals who are interested in getting one of the new 124 jobs should go through the local office of the N.C. Employment Security Commission, said Harrell.
Four of those prospective employees attended Thursday's announcement and three of them used to work at Swift Galey. John Wilson will graduate in business administration from McDowell Technical Community College. He worked for almost nine years at Swift Galey. Jenny Pressley will graduate in advertising and graphic design at McDowell Tech after working for 21 years at Swift Galey. Darlene Tucker will graduate in health information technology at the college after 27 years of working at Swift Galey. Ronnie Cole will graduate in advertising and graphic design from the college. He works for the Blue Ridge Christian News.
All of them were excited about Thursday's news.
"It will be better news if they hire us," said Wilson.
RockTenn and its subsidiaries currently employ 233 workers in McDowell County and over 1,000 throughout North Carolina.
Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $33,023 plus benefits. The McDowell County average annual wage is $29,224.
"We are extremely pleased to expand our operations in the Marion community," said Jim Rubright, chairman and CEO of RockTenn in a prepared statement. "Our continued growth in North Carolina enables us to improve on our primary objective, which is to enhance customer satisfaction by providing value-added products and services at low cost."
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.
Through use of the One NC Fund, more than 50,000 jobs and $9 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, the McDowell Economic Development Association, McDowell County and the city of Marion.
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