SALISBURY — RowanWorks announced Thursday that Premtec, a division of New York Airbrake, will expand its Salisbury operations and create 28 jobs.

The operations, which include product assembly for the railroad industry, are being moved from Watertown, New York, where the company is headquartered. According to a company news release, the transition will begin this winter and conclude in the spring.

According to a RowanWorks news release, the company will invest more than $1 million in the Salisbury plant — located at 985 Whitney Drive — in the form of new equipment and improvements to the property.

The plant currently manufactures brake hoses for the railroad industry, but after the expansion, it will also assemble peripheral products and test functions.

The expansion will create 28 full-time jobs, with the possibility of adding 12 more jobs in the next three to five years.

“We are pleased that Premtec has chosen Rowan County as the location for their future growth,” said RowanWorks President and CEO Rod Crider. “Having (an) existing business announce an expansion is particularly exciting and a testament to the efforts of many to create an environment conducive to continued economic development.”

New York Air Brake President and CEO Mike Hawthorne said Salisbury’s Premtec division offered many advantages to the company.

“Our Premtec Division already has manufacturing, as well as low-complexity assembly and testing, making it a natural fit for this portion of our business,” Hawthorne said.

Hawthorne also said Rowan County’s central location “helps improve our proximity to our customers.”

A number of groups came together to help support the company’s move to Salisbury.

The Rowan County Board of Commissioners applied for a Rural Building Reuse Grant, which provides money for renovations and expansion of facilities in North Carolina.

“Our county is focused on growing our economy,” said commissioners Chairman Greg Edds. “We are grateful for Premtec’s investment in our community and glad we were able to support this job creating expansion.”

On Thursday, the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority awarded $185,000 to help fund the project.

The company was also given a $50,000 performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund that will go toward the expansion.

In an email statement, Gov. Roy Cooper said, “North Carolina’s manufacturing workforce is unmatched in the Southeast.”

“Manufacturing companies like New York Air Brake recognize the role our hard-working people play in the success of their businesses,” Cooper said.

In the same email, N.C. Commerce Secretary Anthony Copeland said New York Air Brake’s expansion is “just the latest example of a North Carolina manufacturer choosing to expand in our state.”

“Companies that are already doing business here clearly see the many advantages North Carolina offers,” Copeland said.

Contact reporter Jessica Coates at 704-797-4222.