CONCORD, NC (WBTV) -
An announcement of 200 new jobs is a welcome thing for anyone in a
struggling economy. But when we hear about companies hiring, are we
also hearing about jobs that are lost? And is any real progress being
made across the region and the state?
You don't have to add a lot of sugar to sweeten the S & D Coffee served at Mr. C's in Concord.
The local favorite is the biggest coffee roaster in the US, and it just announced an expansion and 200 new jobs.
"This is a terrific piece of news that S & D is not only going to
stay in Concord and Cabarrus County, but they are going to expand,"
Concord Mayor Scott Padgett told WBTV.
It is estimated that the expansion will have a $48 million economic
impact in the area. Expansion incentives were approved by the State of
North Carolina, the City of Concord and the County of Cabarrus.
"Our business continues to grow and expand at a time when many
companies have struggled" said Ron Hinson, Chairman of the Board,
President, & CEO of S&D Coffee and Tea. "We considered locations
in other states for this new round of expansion, but decided to stay in
North Carolina and the Concord community. We thank the state of North
Carolina, Cabarrus County and the city of Concord for their tremendous
support. It seems fitting that S&D's bright future as a premier
national manufacturer should advance in the same community where we have
been since 1929."
And it's good news here at the Employment Security Commission Job Link office.
"We're thrilled, we're always happy when someone is going to hire,
especially a well known companylike S & D," said Carol Moffitt,
Assistant Manager of the local office.
There are many counties that would love to have news like this.
Cabarrus is fortunate in that it has a better employment rate than most
of its neighbors, but there are still challenges here.
The closing of the Philip Morris plant in 2009 cost 1000 jobs, and
that site is still mostly empty. And that's a typical story across the
state.
"Region wide is still very tough, it's the most competitive time that
any of us can remember for jobs and economic development, that's why
this project is so important," Padgett added.
And for those looking for work, it's still a hit or miss proposition.
"We try to instill patience, but that's hard when the economy's been like it has," said Moffitt.
The positive side includes the 200 new jobs in Concord, but then up
the road in Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical
announced it was eliminating 950 jobs.
The jobs at S & D will be implemented over a five year period.
The company is also taking over two spec buildings near the Concord
Regional Airport as part of the expansion.
The expansion sites at 7955 and 7975 West Winds Boulevard in Concord
(near the Concord Regional Airport) will expand S&D's capacity for
coffee, tea and extracts production. S&D looked at a number of
potential sites in North Carolina and other states, but settled on
Concord in Cabarrus County.
The new locations are close enough to capitalize on synergies with
headquarters' manufacturing and staff support, but far enough away to
provide redundancy as a prudent risk management measure, according to
the company.
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