In Navassa, the old U.S. Marine Plant along the Cape Fear River that once built boats has a new life. After 11 years of standing vacant, the 336,000 square foot facility will be home to a manufacturing company with approximately 300 employees. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper made the announcement Friday morning.
“I’m pleased to announce that Pacon will bring 299 new jobs and $37 million in investment, to Brunswick County….”
Gov. Cooper, speaking from inside the former boat plant, welcomed Pacon Manufacturing, a New Jersey company that manufactures wipes, pads, towels and liquids for consumer and industrial uses.
A performance-based grant of $300,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help facilitate Pacon Manufacturing’s opening.
Ginger Brick is the Workforce Development Director for the Cape Fear Council of Governments, and she anticipates the facility will expand the area’s tax base and create more jobs.
“When you're bringing 300 new jobs to a community, it means a lot. It means more money in people's pockets and they can live healthier, wealthier lives. So we're very excited to have it in the county. And we are prepared to provide any training that the workforce will need to meet the needs of this company. And we'll be working in cohort with Brunswick Community College to provide that training.”
Salaries for the new hires at the Pacon Manufacturing facility in Navassa is expected to be around $31,000 a year.
For WHQR News, I’m Vince Winkel.