Local

Company announces new plant, 200 new jobs in Shelby

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — A Cleveland County company announced it will expand and create 200 jobs in the area. It is welcome news for the county that has an unemployment rate of 9.3 percent.

Gov. Pat McCrory was there for Greenheck Fan's announcement in Shelby.

Greenheck plans to build a new plant to make air conditioning units for large buildings. They are spending $30 million to build their third plant in Cleveland County.

They have about 100 employees in their two Kings Mountain plants.

"It's the largest investment in the history of Greenheck Corporation and we are excited about it," said Tim Kilgore with Greenheck.

McCrory came to help announce the new jobs.

"This is a great asset to Cleveland County and this region of the state," he said. "Manufacturing is coming back to North Carolina and it starts right here."

Jesse Barrett hopes that is true. He is an electrician. Channel 9 found him at the unemployment office Friday.

"They don't really have much for my occupation here," Barrett said.

He is excited to hear a plant will be built near his home.

Greenheck managers say they are expanding here because of large amount of workers already trained to work with heavy machinery and a local community college training more potential employees.

"I believe I could get on their. It would be nice for me," Barrett said.

The plant is scheduled to open in about a year.

Greenheck managers tell us they will start hiring in July. As for how much the company will pay, Greenheck managers said salaries will vary by job function, and there will be benefits.