Gov. Cooper: Red Bull distribution site to bring 400+ jobs to Cabarrus County

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - Gov. Roy Cooper announced a multimillion dollar beverage distribution hub is coming to Cabarrus County, bringing 413 “new, good paying” jobs.

Cooper made the announcement just after noon at the Cabarrus Center on Union Street South in Concord. The old Philip Morris site will be used to repurpose the hub, with an investment of more than $740 million into the city of Concord by 2027.

This is the largest economic development announcement in Cabarrus County history. Red Bull and filing company Rauch North America will partner to build the new 2-million-square-foot site.

“Global manufacturers need a world-class workforce to support their expansion plans,” Cooper said. “In North Carolina, Red Bull and Rauch have chosen the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast and a resilient business climate with an excellent transportation infrastructure to support their long-term growth.”

The average salary for the new jobs will be $50,377, which is higher than the county’s annual wage.

“We are excited to see the partnership that Red Bull and Rauch are creating here in North Carolina,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “Like this partnership, North Carolina’s success is supported by strong economic and workforce development partnerships, which will continue to attract growing companies that are creating good paying jobs and impactful investments statewide.”

Concord Mayor Bill Dusch says the Philip Morris property is perfect for the new Red Bull “beverage campus,” and he says there’s still room for more growth there.

“We could not be more excited with the companies that joined the project in energizing the former Philip Morris site. This is an amazing opportunity here with more than 1000 acres remaining to be developed,” Mayor Dusch said.

“None of us would have imagined that today we would be back here talking about that same piece of property being home to the largest economic development in the history of Cabarrus County, so we certainly have something to celebrate today,” said Cabarrus County Commission Chairman Steve Morris.

Cooper also visited Northwest Cabarrus High School in Kannapolis to see some COVID-19 vaccinations.

This is Cooper’s second visit to the area in a week. He visited Charlotte on July 6 to meet with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Together, they visited a vaccination site at the Charlotte Transit Center.

Governor Cooper addressed the importance of boosting vaccine confidence to fight COVID-19.

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