NC: Governor Perdue Announces Cooper Standard Expanding in Goldsboro, Creating 137 New Jobs

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Gov. Bev Perdue recently announced that Cooper Standard, a leading global supplier of systems and components for the automotive industry, will expand its Goldsboro body and chassis facility to accommodate new products and programs. The project is slated to create 137 jobs and the company expects to invest $17.9 million in the plant by the end of 2012. The project was made possible, in part, by a grant from the One North Carolina Fund.

“Cooper Standard has been in Goldsboro for more than 25 years,” said Gov. Perdue. “Our top-ranked business climate and skilled workforce make North Carolina an excellent location for businesses to prosper. We are pleased to support just that kind of growth with this One North Carolina grant.”

Cooper Standard’s Goldsboro facility began operations in 1984 and expanded in 1997 to include a second facility. Both facilities currently employ 373 full-time staff and focus on extrusion, notching and molding processes for the automotive weather-strip market. Expansion of the Goldsboro facility will allow Cooper Standard to grow its technology offerings and capabilities to serve its evolving global customer base.

Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $31,713 not including benefits. The Wayne County average annual wage is $$29,848.

“Given our successful history in Goldsboro, we’re confident in our decision to expand Cooper Standard’s current footprint to meet increasing industry demand for new automotive products and technologies,” said Larry Johnson, Vice President, North American Operations. “Leveraging our successful operations is one of our top priorities and North Carolina’s strong workforce and business culture make it an ideal location for this type of expansion.”

“Cooper Standard has long known what other companies are discovering every day – that North Carolina is a place where they can put down roots and thrive, thanks to our efforts to create a business-friendly environment,” said Rep. Larry Bell, of Clinton.

The One North Carolina Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no upfront money and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These grants also require, and are contingent upon, local matches.

North Carolina continues to have a top-ranked business climate. Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state works aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain its workforce, laying the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.

Through the use of the One North Carolina Fund, more than 50,000 jobs and $9 billion in investments have been created since 2001. Other partners that helped with this project include the North Carolina Department of Commerce, North Carolina Community Colleges, Wayne County and Wayne County Development Alliance.