CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — Beverage companies Red Bull and Rauch will work together to build a manufacturing, canning and distribution hub in Cabarrus County that will create more than 400 jobs, Gov. Roy Cooper announced on Tuesday.
Cooper and other state and local officials held a news conference in Concord after a state government panel approved earlier Tuesday financial incentives of up to $4.1 million for the two companies combined over 12 years should they meet job-creation and investment thresholds.
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Through subsidiaries, the two Austrian-based companies plan to create the production hub on the grounds of the now-closed Philip Morris cigarette manufacturing site in Concord, according to state officials.
The project -- a Red Bull regional distribution center and a can-filling factory operated by Rauch and a joint Rauch-Red Bull entity -- will mean an over $740 million investment in Concord by 2027, according to state documents.
“Global manufacturers need a world-class workforce to support their expansion plans,” Cooper said. “In North Carolina, Red Bull and Rauch have chosen the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast and a resilient business climate with an excellent transportation infrastructure to support their long-term growth.”
Together, the companies will partner to develop a state-of-the-art campus for beverage manufacturing, can filling and distribution. The beverage production hub will span 2,000,000-square-feet of vertical integration to include office space at The Grounds at Concord.
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The North Carolina Department of Commerce led the state’s efforts to support Red Bull and Rauch’s decision to locate to North Carolina.
“We are excited to see the partnership that Red Bull and Rauch are creating here in North Carolina,” North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said. “Like this partnership, North Carolina’s success is supported by strong economic and workforce development partnerships, which will continue to attract growing companies that are creating good paying jobs and impactful investments statewide.”
Overall, officials said the local region will benefit from a more than $20.8 million annual payroll impact in the community. The average annual wage for the new jobs will be $50,000 -- exceeding the county’s current average of $41,255.
“What an outstanding announcement for our county and our region,” North Carolina Senator Paul Newton said. “The decision by these innovative companies to choose Cabarrus County creates game-changing employment opportunities for our citizens.”
North Carolina was competing for the project with potential locales in South Carolina’s Richland and Cherokee counties, according to documents presented to the panel that voted for the state incentives. Cabarrus County and Concord also offered local incentives.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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