HENDERSONVILLE – Medical device maker Jabil plans to enlarge its Henderson County operation with a 180,000-square-foot expansion on the site of its existing East Flat Rock factory.
According to a June 25 news release from the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development, the expansion will mean an investment of $102 million and creation of 148 jobs paying an average of $62,000.
That’s 116% of median area wage, which is around $54,000, the Times-News previously reported.
Headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, Jabil employs more than 140,000 people across 25 countries, according to the release. Jabil was also considering sites in Florida, Illinois and Ireland, the Times-News previously reported.
The company uses injection molding and automated assembly lines to make products used in hospitals and other medical settings, the Times-News reported.
The announcement comes after the Hendersonville City Council offered up to $3.5 million in tax incentives to attract the factory June 4, then code-named Project Crown, the Times-News previously reported.
Though in Flat Rock, the Garrison Industrial Park, home of the Jabil factory, is a satellite annexation of the City of Hendersonville.
The Henderson County Board of Commissioners approved up to $2.9 million in tax incentives June 17.
When applying for the incentives, Jabil planned $73 million in capital investment and $51 million in machinery and other equipment, for a total investment of $124 million, the Times-News previously reported.
The company later scaled that investment back to a “conservatively” estimated $102 million, Partnership President Brittany Brady told the Times-News in a June 26 text message.
“The incentive for both city and county will be based on investment, wages and jobs,” she said.
The size of the factory expansion is larger than what the Partnership had announced when applying for incentives, 180,000 square feet, rather than 130,000.
“We are especially proud of this announcement as it marks the largest investment total in a single year for Henderson County! It’s a great way to kick off the start of the Partnership’s 20th year,” John Bryant, chair of the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development said in the news release.
“Jabil’s continued presence and investment in our region highlights the value of strong public-private partnerships. We are excited to see their ongoing impact in the city and the opportunities it creates for our local economy and families,” Hendersonville Mayor Barbara Volk said in the release.
This comes not long after the city of Hendersonville approved $2.3 million in incentives for a clean energy factory codenamed “Project Vert” in April, the Times-News previously reported. Project Vert was later revealed to be a new factory for Michigan auto parts maker BorgWarner in Flat Rock.
Henderson County also committed $1.9 million in incentives to the BorgWarner project, which is set to create 378 new jobs and $5 million in taxable capital improvements as part of a $100 million total investment, the Times-News reported.
Potential medical device factory could bring 148 jobs to HendersonvilleWhat's under construction between 7th Ave and MLK Blvd in Hendersonville?
George Fabe Russell is the Henderson County Reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Tips, questions, comments? Email him at [email protected].