CertainTeed will add 37 new jobs as part of an expansion project at its Oxford plant that makes roofing shingles.
The expansion represents a $118.8 million investment in the Granville County facility, according to an announcement made Wednesday by Gov. Roy Cooper.
A performance-based grant of $125,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help with CertainTeed’s expansion in North Carolina. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and to create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All One NC grants require matching participation from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.
CertainTeed produces a portfolio of exterior and interior building products that includes roofing materials, siding, fence, decking, railings, trim, insulation, gypsum wallboard, and ceilings. The 122-year-old company will add 225,000 square feet of manufacturing space to their existing shingle manufacturing plant, enhancing their ability to serve customers in a time of unprecedented demand.
CertainTeed is the North American building products subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the largest manufacturing companies in the world.
“This historic investment, made possible with support from the state of North Carolina, will create new jobs and allow our company to support our customers with more of the industry-leading roofing materials that our team has been making in Granville County since 1978,” said Mark Rayfield, President and CEO of Saint-Gobain North America and CertainTeed. “We thank the community for their continued support, and we look forward to many more years of state-of-the-art manufacturing in Oxford.”
Although wages will vary for each position, the average annual salary for the new positions is $66,930, exceeding Granville County’s overall average annual wage of $45,096. The new jobs have the potential to create an annual payroll impact of more than $2.4 million, according to the press statement from the Governor’s office.
“Global brands can operate anywhere in the world, but they continue to choose North Carolina for its workforce,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “CertainTeed’s commitment to our state highlights the importance of a well-prepared workforce to meet industry demands. As the manufacturing industry advances, we are committed to advancing our workforce training systems to prepare North Carolinians to help companies meet those demands.”
“This announcement is outstanding for our community,” said N.C. Sen. Mike Woodard. “CertainTeed has been a great corporate partner for our community, and we are grateful for the company’s continued investment here in Oxford.”
“We are excited to bring these great paying jobs to Granville County,” said N.C. Rep. Larry Yarborough. “These new jobs will have a positive impact on our capable workforce that stand ready to fill roles.”
In addition to the N.C. Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in the project include the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, Vance-Granville Community College, Kerr-Tar Council of Governments, Granville County, Granville County Economic Development, Granville County Chamber, Granville County Public Schools, the City of Oxford, the NCWorks Career Center Oxford, Dominion Energy and Duke Energy.
