A national construction services company has chosen Siler City, in Chatham County, for its major new manufacturing facility, citing the strength of the potential workforce there as a major factor.

Florida-based Innovative Construction Group, or ICG, was acquired in 2020 by PulteGroup, the third-largest homebuilder in the U.S., according to its website. ICG, whose plans were announced by the governor’s office on April 23, provides design services, manufactures wall panels, ceiling beams and floor systems, as well as offering on-site installation.

ICG’s main clients are commercial home and apartment builders, according to Tim Chatlosdirector of corporate communications at PulteGroup.

The company is still designing the North Carolina facility, Chatlos told Carolina Public Press by email, but believes they will be between 150,000 and 200,000 square feet. ICG hopes to build the facility in the next two to three years and begin manufacturing activities in 2027, he said.

The company plans to buy about 46 acres in the Chatham Siler-City Advanced Manufacturing industrial park, where Wolfspeed also plans to establish its future silicon carbide plant, the Chatham Economic Development Corporation said.

ICG estimates an annual payroll of $8.3 million at full construction, according to the Chatham Economic Development Corporation.

The facility will increase the company’s current manufacturing capacity, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

The company expects to invest about $39.8 million in the project by the end of 2028 and create up to 157 new jobs by 2029, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

The new facility will include opportunities in production, carpentry, logistics and maintenance, according to the governor’s office. The plans are still subject to approval of local incentives and completion of real estate negotiations, the governor’s office said.

The expected average salary for the new positions is $52,949, slightly above Chatham County’s average salary of $50,302, according to the governor’s office.

Chatlos told CPP that community college technical training opportunities and the state’s workforce development training programs were a major factor in the decision because they “point to a great opportunity for a well-trained workforce.”

Information technology infrastructure and accessibility of roads and airport were other factors, he said. Chatham County is the geographic center of the state. Local highways, including US 421, US 64, and US 15/501, provide easy access to the Triangle and Triad, making Interstates 40 and 85 quickly accessible from Siler City.

The company also considered the Dallas metro and Phoenix metro as potential sites, according to NC Commerce, evaluating labor costs, sales taxes, real estate taxes, personal property taxes and preliminary incentive savings. .

Michael Smithpresident of the Chatham Economic Development Corporation, told CPP in an email that the opportunity to be in the existing industrial park with existing infrastructure was also a factor for the company.

North Carolina Railroad Company will invest $200,000 to help finance the design and construction of a new rail spur to connect the facility to the railroad and be served by Norfolk Southern Railway, according to the railroad company’s news release.

Once the site is active, rail activity will increase by at least 75 cars a year, the company said.

The state approved a Job Development Investment Grant that would use new tax revenue to potentially reimburse the company up to $873,750 over 12 years. This depends on the company meeting its investment and incremental job creation objectives.

Additionally, the company was offered community college training incentives valued at $280,000 and infrastructure support from the state Department of Transportation valued at $400,000, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

Because the total award is greater than the grant statute’s overall maximum withholding rate in the first seven years, the state economic investment committee approved a special finding to approve the grant at its April 23 meeting.

The city of Siler City and Chatham County are offering combined incentives of about $1.1 million, according to the Department of Commerce.

These are performance-based grants from potential tax revenue, said Smith of the Chatham Economic Development Corporation.

When asked by CPP if housing in the area will be suitable for a potential new workforce, Smith said the economic development corporation is discussing new housing in Siler City with the community and development team.

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