Steel producer bringing jobs to NC with $30 million investment in new facility
An Indiana-based steel company is planning to spend more than $30.5 million for a new facility in Hickory and create 58 jobs in the Charlotte region.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced the investment plans on Thursday for Steel Warehouse Company, an industrial steel processor. The family-owned company makes products for industries such as agriculture, construction, energy and transportation.
Steel Warehouse’s Hickory location will support the region’s industrial supply chain, according to a news release from the governor’s office. It will be at the former site of the Appalachian Hardwood Flooring at 2441 Highland Ave. NE, according to Nathan Huret, spokesman for the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation.
“We view this as an attractive place to invest for the long term,” said Dave Lerman, board chair for Steel Warehouse in a news release.
About 15 different buildings, totaling 75,000 square feet, are on the property and a lot of them will be demolished, Huret said. About 50,000 square feet of the property will be restored for the facility to house large amounts of steel and laser cutting technology.
Catawba County anticipates construction for the facility to start in the upcoming months and it may open this year, Huret said.
“It comes with a good bit of property,” Huret said. “So we’re really anticipating in the future that they’re going to add a new facility on the same property. That’s the hope.”
The average yearly pay is expected to be $62,000 — more than 14 % higher than the Catawba County average of $54,151.
The state is providing Steel Warehouse with a $120,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund. To get payments, businesses are required to meet employment and capital investment targets. One NC grants also require a funding match from local governments.
A public hearing for local incentive consideration will likely be this month by the Catawba County Board of Commissioners and the Hickory City Council, Huret said.
Hickory is about an hour north of Charlotte.
About Steel Warehouse
Steel Warehouse was founded in 1947 and operates 15 locations in the U.S., Mexico and Brazil.
The steel provider and service center distributes more than 2 million tons of coil, sheet, and plate with smooth and rough surfaces annually.
