Refrigeration company bringing 85 jobs to Davie
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 20, 2013
A Washington State company that makes chillers for the food, beverages and medicines plans to create up to 85 new jobs to Davie County, according to a news release from Gov. Pat McCrory’s office.
Pro Refrigeration Inc., a manufacturer of refrigeration systems, will expand its operations by locating a new East Coast production facility in Davie. The jobs would be created over five years as the company invests $4.9 million.
Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wages for the new jobs will be $38,296, plus benefits, the news release said. The average annual wage in Davie County is $30,415.
Pro Refrigeration will get performance-based incentives from Davie County along with a grant of up to $75,000 from the state’s One North Carolina Fund. The state grant will be based on the company creating 58 jobs and investing $3.6 million over the first three years of the project.
“Manufacturers like Pro Refrigeration know that my administration is committed to growing this important part of North Carolina’s economy,” McCrory said. “We must continue to support manufacturing through our strategic investments in workforce development and infrastructure.”
Pro Refrigeration is a privately-held company that designs, manufactures and distributes refrigeration systems for the dairy, winery, food processing, medical and craft brewing industries, the news release said. The company currently has more than 50 employees operating from its headquarters in Washington State and a sales office in Georgia.
“We spent much of the past year touring and researching different locations across the Southeast region. Pro has a great deal riding on this expansion, it is definitely one of the biggest moves we’ve undertaken,” said Jim VanderGiessen Jr, CEO of Pro Refrigeration. “The reasons for choosing Davie County were the skilled workforce, the business friendly environment, and the amazing support we’ve received from everyone here in Mocksville.”
State Sen. Andrew Brock, who represents Davie and Rowan counties in the General Assembly, credited what he called the largest tax cut for businesses in the state’s history, approved during the last session legislative session, and McCrory’s goal for the state to be “customer-friendly and efficient” with helping to land the new jobs.
The N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, Davie County Economic Development Commission and town of Mocksville also helped lure Pro Refrigeration.
For more information about Pro Refrigeration, including job opportunities, visit www.prochiller.com