Albemarle Corporation expanding R&D facility in Mecklenburg County, bringing 200 new jobs

CHARLOTTE — A chemical company based out of Charlotte is bringing hundreds of new jobs to Mecklenburg County with the expansion of a new research and development facility, according to Gov. Roy Cooper’s Office.

Albemarle Corporation, a specialty chemical manufacturer and one of the largest providers of lithium for electric vehicle batteries, is investing at least $180 million into a new project in Mecklenburg County. The company is establishing an “advanced materials research and development facility” called the Albemarle Technology Park, according to a statement sent to Channel 9 on Tuesday.

“Albemarle’s cutting-edge work will help bring the next generation of clean energy technology to life and create great jobs in North Carolina’s clean energy economy,” Gov. Cooper said in a statement.

The state says this new facility will also focus on innovations to the “next generation of products in the lithium and battery markets.”

“North Carolina’s momentum in electric vehicles, battery production, and related industries is truly remarkable,” North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said in a statement.

Around 200 new jobs are expected with the project, and the average salary across all of those positions will be about $94,000, the governor’s office says.

The company is getting a little over $12 million in reimbursements from the state as an incentive for the project. The governor’s office says Albemarle Corporation’s project is estimated to grow North Carolina’s economy by $644.5 million.

Albemarle says it expects “initial occupancy of the new facility by early 2025″ with completion of the whole campus by late 2026.

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