Jobs Coming to Wilkes as North Wilkesboro Company Expands

NC Gov. Bev Perdue has announced that CertainTeed Corporation, a leading North American manufacturer of building materials, will expand its North Wilkesboro fiber cement siding plant. The project is expected to create 29 jobs, and the company expects to invest $2.7 million in the facility by the end of 2013. The project was made possible in part by a $98,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.   At the North Wilkesboro facility, the company will use the funds to purchase and install equipment for a new paint line, a process that previously had been done by third party vendors.  The initiative is expected to improve efficiencies and provide better service to the company’s customers.  Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $42,741 not including benefits. The Wilkes County average annual wage is $29,172.  Headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, CertainTeed also has NC plants in Oxford, Claremont, and Roxboro.  The One North Carolina Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects to create new jobs. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds.  Besides, the One North Carolina Fund, other partners that helped with this project include the North Carolina Department of Commerce, North Carolina Community Colleges, Wilkes County, and Wilkes Economic Development Corporation.