North Carolina Construction News staff writer
Amrep Manufacturing has a $21 million plan to expand its operations in Rowan County.
A subsidiary of Wastequip, the Charlotte-based company manufactures a range of waste handling equipment for the waste hauling, collecting, storing, and transportation industry, with manufacturing sites in 48 states and Mexico. The new operation in Rowan County will focus on producing front load and automated side load trucks for curbside collection, adding an 80,000-square-foot production space next to Amrep’s existing facility in Salisbury.
“This expansion continues Wastequip’s growth platform, providing specialized equipment and services to customers in the waste industry as the leading integrated solution provider,” said Marty Bryant, President and CEO of Wastequip.
The facility will offer a variety of positions, including fabricators, mounters, painters, supervisors, welders, and other support roles. The average annual wage for these positions is expected to be $57,490, surpassing Rowan County’s average wage of $52,101. This could result in a potential payroll impact of more than $9.7 million annually for the region.
Amrep’s expansion will be supported by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Over the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $335.2 million. Based on the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes potential reimbursement to the company of up to $1,614,600, spread over 12 years. These state payments will only occur following verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its job creation and investment targets.
“Amrep could have expanded anywhere, but they chose North Carolina,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “This investment underscores the need for continued investment in quality education and workforce training systems to help our business community thrive.”
Also, Amrep’s JDIG agreement could allocate up to $179,400 into a fund that assists rural communities across the state in attracting business. When companies choose a site in a Tier 2 county like Rowan, part of the new tax revenue is moved into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. Local communities use grants from this account to build public infrastructure projects, enhancing their ability to attract businesses.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina collaborated on this project with the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Rowan County, Rowan Economic Development Council, and Duke Energy.