Wayne County expected to gain over 500 new jobs with manufacturing investments :: WRAL.com

Two manufacturing companies announced investments in May that are expected to bring more than 500 jobs to Wayne County.

Waukesha, Wisconsin-based Prolec GE, a major manufacturer of power transformers, plans to create up to 330 jobs. The jobs would follow the expansion of the current manufacturing plant in Goldsboro.

The deal is expected to bring an investment of up to $140 million to North Carolina, according to state officials.

Pelsan Tekstil, a maker of breathable films for the medical sector, plans to create up to 216 jobs by making its first U.S. manufacturing facility.

The deal is expected to bring an investment of about $83 million, according to state officials.

Macy Sauls grew up in Wayne County and returned after graduating from North Carolina State University.

She said it makes her proud to be here.

“I have grown a sense of pride for the county after learning more about what is going on behind the scenes,” she said.

More than ever, she sees the county as a place she could stay.

“I feel very opportunistic about raising my kids here and hopefully extending those roots so they’ll stay here one day and have a job,” she said.

The recent job announcements give her the certainty that there will be high-paying jobs available for her family, regardless of their educational background.

Pelsan is expected to employ machine operators, technicians, engineers, supervisors, as well as finance and supply chain specialists, state officials said. The average annual salary for the planned positions is expected to be $48,800, which is slightly above the county average, according to state data. The jobs are expected to be created by 2032.

The Jobs at Waukesha, similarly, would create high-paying positions with varying educational requirements.

The jobs, which include positions for assemblers, welders, machine operators, quality specialist engineers, and other manufacturing support roles, are expected to pay an average annual wage of about $72,000, which is approximately 56% above the average for private sector jobs in the county, according to state data.

All of these announcements have been beneficial for the unemployment rate, which is at its lowest level in at least three decades, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Economic developers like Mark Pope said lowering that rate has been the focus, often finding ways to incentivize companies to come here.

“We wanted to make sure we were doing the right things in dropping that unemployment rate. Now, we’ve got some great companies in eastern North Carolina. You know, manufacturing is, is our key,” Pope said.

Sauls has seen it in action, watching some people she grew up with find jobs right out of school.

” A lot of my classmates that I like graduated high school with, or just people I knew in the community, they who didn’t go to college, have found good jobs here, and now there’s even more jobs for them to be able to stay and grow families of their own,” she said.