CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — A major jobs announcement in Catawba County, Prysmian in Claremont will be adding close to 400 jobs and investing $1 billion dollars at its plant in Clarement.
Governor Josh Stein made the announcement Wednesday morning.
While the salaries will vary, Channel 9’s Dave Faherty reported the salary on average to be a little over $60 thousand dollars a year which is nearly $4 thousand dollars higher than the current average salary in Catawba County.
Signs are already up at the Claremont Business park.
“It pretty much gives everybody hope,” resident Larry Harris said.
Harris is looking for work and is excited to hear the announcement. Prysmian plans to expand its fiber and glass manufacturing operations. Founded in 1879, the company has grown to become one of the world’s largest cable and fiber manufacturers, operating more than 100 plants across six continents employing tens of thousands of workers.
“I’m willing to train for it,” Harris said, " If they let me train, I’ll do it."
The expansion in Claremont will include the vertical integration of a new glass production facility and upgrades for existing buildings to double capacity for fiber optic manufacturing. The company is getting a performance-based grant of $1 million from the One North Carolina Fund to help with the expansion. The new jobs could potentially create a payroll impact of more than $23.4 million for the region each year. Resident Robert Baker is also looking for work after losing his job recently.
“I need to be able to pay my bills,” resident Robert Baker “And it would help a lot in the town of Claremont because Claremont is a small town.”
The unemployment rate in Catawba county is 3.4% which is slightly below the state average of 3.6%.
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