ABB groundbreaking planned for Monday - Huntersville NC Business News

The Lake Norman Regional Economic Development Corp. will host a Monday April 4th groundbreaking for ABB, a Swiss company set to build a $90 million manufacturing plant in Commerce Station Business Park off N.C. 115.

The company plans to hire 100 workers to make high-voltage underground electrical cables to extend the U.S. power grid.

ABB, whose North American headquarters are in Cary, provides transmission and distribution equipment and technology for power grids worldwide. The company operates in about 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people, including 771 full-time workers in North Carolina.

The high-voltage and extra-high-voltage cables that will be made in Huntersville are in growing demand to carry electricity long distances from solar, wind and other renewable-energy sources, ABB officials said.

The Huntersville jobs will pay an average of $64,008 a year, higher than Mecklenburg County's $48,776 average, ABB officials said. The jobs will include a 50-50 mix of manufacturing workers and engineers, officials said.

ABB officials cited Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, engineering talent in the Charlotte area and the region's quality of life as factors in locating the plant here.

The state is providing about $5 million in incentives, and Mecklenburg County and Huntersville about another $6 million combined, spread over eight to 12 years, said Dale Carroll, deputy secretary of the N.C. Department of Commerce.

Groundbreaking festivities will be from 2-3:30 p.m., starting in the Central Piedmont Community College North Campus auditorium at 11930 Verhoeff Drive. A shuttle will then take guests to Commerce Station for the official groundbreaking.

This is great news for the economy and the Lake Norman Region. As a resident and Broker we hope this trend continues thoughtout the 2011 year. Huntersville continues to lead the way in the state of North Carolina for it's growth and desirability.