NC Community College Customized Training Program to Assist with Training
For Immediate Release
BURKE COUNTY, N.C. (December 8, 2022) Governor Roy Cooper’s Office and the North Carolina Department of Commerce have announced the award of a Building Reuse grant to support Project Fill, an expansion project at a facility in Burke County.
Gerresheimer Glass received a $500,000 grant to support the expansion of its facility on Wamsutta Mill Road in Morganton. The capital investment will exceed $60 million and will expand capacity for new vial forming lines. The expansion is projected to create 78 new jobs over two years. The average annual wage of the new jobs will be $48,379, which is 20% higher than the average wage for the county.
The North Carolina Community College System’s Customized Training program will participate in the project as well. Attracting and retaining a skilled workforce is crucial to any new or expanding company. A training plan with an estimated value of over $85k, will be customized for the project and will be developed in a joint effort between company representatives, Western Piedmont Community College and the NC Community College System. Training will include both technical and soft skills training.
“Not only are the new jobs important but solidifying the existing jobs was key to the project. We hope this means Gerresheimer Glass will be in Burke County for a long time to come.” said Mayor of Morganton, Ronnie Thompson. “This is a great project and we are excited to announce it.”
The City of Morganton was the applicant for the grant and they along with Burke County will supply a 5% local match for the project. The project is expected to create over $60M in new capital investment.
Gerresheimer currently has 164 full-time employees in North Carolina. The Morganton operation produces Tubular Type 1, clear and amber which include serum vials, large outer diameter vials and double chamber vials. The expansion will allow for the installation of new vial forming lines and warehouse space for the company’s production of Type 1 vials and Gx® Elite glass vials.
The expansion and training will strengthen the ability to respond to future emergency situations and campaigns against infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. “We are very excited Gerresheimer is expanding their operations in our community,” said Scott Mulwee, Chairman of the Burke County Commissioners. “Burke County is committed to creating opportunities for everyone. We welcome this project as they take steps toward achieving our shared goals for the community.”
Alan Wood, President and CEO of Burke Development, Inc. (BDI) had the following to say, “assisting our existing industries grow is at the core of our efforts. We need our local companies to grow and expand. It is a sign of a healthy economy when this occurs, and we hope that Gerresheimer is not the only company we can find ways to assist over the coming months.”
Burke Development, Inc., Burke County, the City of Morganton, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the NC Department of Commerce, the NC Community College System, Western Piedmont Council of Governments and Western Piedmont Community College along with our Local legislators: Representative Hugh Blackwell and Senator Warren Daniel assisted with the project. A special word of thanks needs to be passed on to Mike Bridges, who was very valuable in making this effort a reality.
For the full announcement from the Governor’s office visit here
About Burke Development, Inc. Burke Development, Inc. (BDI) is a nonprofit organization supported by private and public funding that is charged with accelerating economic growth in Burke County. BDI works with industry leaders, site selection consultants, government agencies and other entities to facilitate expansion strategies for existing businesses and recruit target industries to Burke County. For more information about BDI visit www.BurkeDevInc.com.
###
Contact:
Alan Wood
828.764.9372
The post $500,000 Building Reuse Grant Announced for Expansion first appeared on Burke Development.