ABB cable plant to employ 100 in N. Meck

Swiss energy giant ABB Group plans a $90 million cable manufacturing plant in Huntersville that will have about 100 employees.

The plant will be built at the intersection of N.C. Highway 115 and Verhoeff Drive. The site is in Commerce Station Business Park, jointly developed by Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson.

State and local officials announced the project Thursday afternoon at Huntersville Town Hall. The project was made possible, in part, by state grants.

The Economic Incentive Committee of the N.C. Department of Commerce approved a Job Development Investment Grant that could be worth up to $2.15 million to ABB over nine years. The One North Carolina Fund is contributing $400,000.

Huntersville and Mecklenburg County also have approved incentive packages, including training to be made available at Central Piedmont Community College. The tax incentives for ABB will be a rebate of 75 percent of its town and county taxes for 10 years. The rebate will be given annually. The company must invest at least $84 million and employ 100 to qualify for the incentives.

ABB (NYSE:ABB) announced plans in May to build a plant in the United States. At the time, the Zurich-based company said it would manufacture high-voltage cable for the U.S. transmission grid.

But the company has been looking for a location since late summer of 2009. N.C. Deputy Commerce Secretary Dale Carroll says several states were in the hunt initially. For the last several months, the competition has been between upstate South Carolina and the Charlotte region.

Jeff Edge of the Charlotte Chamber says Huntersville beat out Greenville, S.C., for the plant.

The announcement also means 30 additional jobs in the Triangle area. ABB will beef up its engineering staff at its Power Services division on the N.C. State University Centennial Campus to support the work of the manufacturing plant here.

Construction of the Huntersville plant is slated to start soon, with the facility expected to open in 2012. Anders Sjolien, regional director for ABB Power Systems in Raleigh, says the exact size of the plant has not been decided yet, as design work continues. It will be built on 20 acres in the 314-acre business park

The average annual wage for the new jobs will be $64,008.

The commerce department, Lake Norman Regional Economic Development Commission and the Charlotte Chamber were among the key groups that recruited ABB. The N.C. Community College System and ElectriCities of North Carolina, the municipal power agency for Huntersville, also were involved.

ABB has looked for a U.S. site to tap into the market for high-voltage cable as the nation upgrades its transmission grid.

The company was formed in 1988 by the merger of the Swedish company ASEA and Switzerland-based Brown, Boveri & Cei. ABB already has significant ties to North Carolina. It moved its North American headquarters to the Raleigh suburb of Cary last year from Connecticut. It has about 500 employees in the Triangle and almost 1,000 statewide.
ABB also is expanding its manufacturing plant in Pinetops, N.C., which makes medium-voltage transformers.

The Huntersville plant is the latest win in the Charlotte region’s effort to recruit major players in the energy industry. That campaign, which markets this area as “The New Energy Capital.” Its biggest coup to date involves a plan by Siemens Energy to invest $170 million in a turbine-manufacturing hub that will bring 825 jobs here during the next five years.

Carroll says the growing energy industry in the Charlotte area was a factor in the decision to locate the plant here. But he says it was just one factor of many.

ABB reported almost $31 billion in sales last year and has 117,000 employees worldwide.

Its North American operation, ABB Inc., employs 15,000 across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Source: Charlotte Business Journal

Furniture Deal Brings 200 Jobs To Burke

A joint venture between a Burke County furniture maker and a Michigan furniture retailer will bring 200 jobs to Valdese.

Carolina Artisan Group will design and build custom seating that will be sold by Michigan’s Art Van Furniture. The first six living room and family room chair collections will be available by mid-October.

Kellex Corp. of Burke County is the joint venture partner with Art Van.
“The opportunity to partner with an icon in the furniture industry, Art Van Furniture, not only made good business sense, the leadership style and commitment to the U.S. furniture industry matches the Kellex owners’ beliefs and values,” said Kellex owner Charlie Rice.

Burke Development Inc. President Scott Darnell has been in the job only a few months before the Carolina Artisan announcement. Darnell was head of economic development for the Cleveland County Chamber of Chamber.

Source: Charlotte Business Journal

NC to receive $298M to support education jobs

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that North Carolina will receive $298 million to support education jobs.

“There is a huge sense of urgency to get these funds out the door,” Duncan said. “I commend North Carolina for being one of the first to submit their application and thank our team at the Department for making funds available within a matter of days. These education dollars will help North Carolina keep thousands of teachers in the classroom working with our students this school year.”

The $10 billion education fund will support education jobs in the 2010-11 school year and be distributed to states by a formula based on population figures. States can distribute their funding to school districts based on their own primary funding formula or districts’ relative share of federal Title I funds.

Over the last two years, the Department has been able to support 300,000 education jobs through stimulus funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. At this time, seven states have drawn down 100 percent of previously allocated jobs funding, while 18 states total have drawn down 80 percent or more. A July report from the independent Center on Education Policy found that 75 percent of school districts that received stimulus funds expect to cut teaching positions in the upcoming school year.

Source: Asheville Citizen Times

Does Your Cover Letter ASK for the Job Interview?

Job seekers all over the country miss their golden opportunity to land an interview for the job they want- often for one simple reason. They neglect to ASK for one. They write a great cover letter, listing their accomplishments, their abilities, and the accolades they received for the work they’ve done. But they leave out an essential sentence:
May I come in for an interview?

Or

I would love to interview for this position, can we schedule a time next week?

There is no question that you can and will be called for more job interviews if you take that one step- asking for the opportunity to meet in person. Without the question, your cover letter fails to fully work in your favor. So be sure that every cover letter you write includes a request for a job interview.

Twice is Nice!

Ask for an interview in the beginning of your cover letter and again towards the end. It’s fine to use a friendly tone, but don’t be afraid to be direct too. You’re asking the hiring manager to give you a call and invite you in to talk about the job you both want to fill. This is as basic as it gets. Asking is one of simplest and more effective job-search tips you will read anywhere at any time. I hope you’ll take it to heart, use it, and then watch the results pour in.

Source: OdinJobs

Lava opens fabric plant in York

Lava USA Inc. is spending $3.8 million to bring a 30-job fabrics operation to York.

The family-owned company makes knitted fabrics for mattress covers and has started production in the 100,000-square-foot former Sattler Plastics building at 601 Railroad Avenue.

Lava expects to have 10 employees by year end and reach 30 within five years.

Robert Jones is plant manager.

Buddy Motz, chairman of the York County Council, says the new jobs and investment are welcome in western York County.

“It is refreshing to see a globally competitive manufacturing operation added to York County’s rich textile history,” he says.

Founded in 1925 and based in Belgium, Lava also has manufacturing operations in Belgium. It has a sales office in Waterloo, S.C.
The company also makes mattress ticking.

Source: Charlotte Business Journal

American Textile Opens Davidson Office

Sometimes we need a reminder that textiles are still woven into the fabric of the Carolinas.

The American Textile Co., which is based outside of Pittsburgh, realized it when the company wanted to grow its bed-fashion product development and marketing segments.

Some of the best folks in those two fields hail from the Carolinas and specifically the Charlotte area, says Blake Ruttenberg, American Textile executive vice president of sales and marketing.

The new hires really didn’t want to leave the Carolinas so American Textile decided to open an office in Davidson. On Aug. 27, opened a four-person office in the Harbor Place development in Davidson.
“We said rather than trying to convince them to move to Pittsburgh, let’s just join them,” Ruttenberg says.

For example, Mette Odom, American Textile’s new vice president of marketing, is the former vice president of marketing at Springs Global US Inc. Others came to the company from the former Pillowtex Corp. and Sara Lee Corp.

The result of the new hires was most of the company’s product development and marketing leadership will be based in Davidson. Ruttenberg expects to add a fifth person to the Davidson office by the end of the year and perhaps more in the future, he says.

But don’t expect the company to move its 200-employee headquarters in Duquesne, Pa., Ruttenberg says.

American Textile is a big supplier of bed pillows, mattress and pillow protectors and pads. It has 400 employees.

Source: Charlotte Business Journal

Foundation Financial expands in Charlotte

Mortgage lender Foundation Financial Group says it will hire 50 workers in Charlotte by year end as part of a company-wide expansion.
The company, with offices off David Taylor Drive near UNC Charlotte, is filling 25 positions here immediately. It says it plans to then hire 25 more workers in the fourth quarter.

Founded in 1998, Foundation Financial is a residential mortgage lender licensed in 30 states. It has offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Fla., Raleigh and Savannah, Ga. Since 2004, it has funded more than $2 billion in loans and reports loan growth of 7% since January.

“We are trying to meet demand as the company grows, and we love the Charlotte area for our future growth,” says Foundation senior Vice President Mark Boyer. He says the company “wanted to get a footprint in Charlotte” because of its reputation as a major financial-services center with a deep talent pool.

The new positions include entry-level and high-wage jobs in sales, telemarketing, management and licensed loan officers.

The Charlotte Chamber assisted in the company’s expansion. “It’s just another example of businesses choosing to invest here for the long term,” says Jeff Edge, chamber senior vice president of economic development.

The Charlotte expansion is part of a 170-job hiring binge across the company. Foundation Financial says nationwide it will add 85 jobs now and an additional 85 jobs later this year. The lender will also hire for additional positions after opening a fifth center in New York in early 2011.

Foundation’s employee culture focuses on a “blue-collar work ethic,” the company says, with emphasis placed on quality, speed and efficiency. The company says it closes an average loan in only fewer than 17 calendar days, compared to the industry average of 45 business days.

Job applicants should apply online at http://www.onlineffg.com/careers or call Foundation Financial Group at (866) 334-1001.

Source: Charlotte Business Journal

Five Common Job Interview Mistakes to Avoid

Interviewing for a job can be a stressful experience. It’s easy to get nervous but you’ll have a lot less to worry about if you avoid the following 5 common mistakes:

Arrive Late

Probably the worst thing you can do when interviewing for a job is arrive to the interview late. Not being on time to your first encounter with your future boss is like introducing yourself to someone new with a punch to the face. It makes a bad first impression. Arriving late to the interview says to your potential employer that punctuality is not one of your priorities. If you can’t even make it on time to interview for the job, there’s no reason for the interviewer to believe you’ll perform any better if hired. Be sure you and your potential employer settle on an interview time that works for both of you. If the employer suggests a time or date that you know you probably can’t make, don’t be afraid to tell them that time doesn’t work for you and request to do the interview at another time.

Don’t Listen

If you exhibit poor listening skills in the interview, chances aren’t very high that you’ll do much better on the job. Be sure to listen carefully to the questions the interviewer asks you and make sure the response you give is the one the question is asking for. If, for example, the interviewer asks about what experience you have that relates to the position you applied for, don’t tell him or her about your last job which has nothing to do with the job for which you are interviewing for. Listening and comprehending what you’ve been asked are important as these skills let employers know you’ll be able to do what they ask without a lot of further clarification.

Don’t Ask Questions

By not asking any questions during the interview, you appear to be unmotivated and possibly uninterested in the job for which you are applying. Don’t be afraid to ask your interviewer questions about the job. It shows initiative on your part. Just be sure to be as professional as possible and try to avoid interrupting the interviewer with a question that is likely to be answered later on in the interview.

Try to Take the Lead

While showing an interest and asking questions are important, you don’t want to seem like you’re trying to take the lead in the interview. It makes you seem arrogant and although employers do look favorably upon those with leadership qualities, they tend to hire people that they believe can work well as part of a team. When you answer questions about your previous jobs, try to use the pronoun “we” instead of “I” when appropriate. Show that you’re a team player.

Dress Inappropriately

One of the most common mistakes interviewees make (especially younger ones) is to dress inappropriately to a job interview. Like it or not, how you present yourself says a lot about you to your employee. Don’t show up to a job interview in jeans and a T-shirt. Men, wear slacks, some nice shoes, with a button-up shirt and a tie. Ladies, dress pants or a skirt (of appropriate length for a professional setting) with a nice shirt are a good way to go. Avoid low cut tops. Depending on the job you are interviewing for, you may also need to make sure not to overdress. While a suit may look nice, it may not be the appropriate attire for a stock room position.

Stay calm and avoid these 5 mistakes and you’re sure to make the best out of your next job interview.

Source: AssociatedContent.com

SMW Automotive to create 170 jobs in Middle Tennessee

SMW Automotive will open a plant in Shelbyville and Tennessee officials say the $26 million capital investment will create 170 jobs over five years.

Gov. Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber announced on Thursday the global auto supplier’s 131,000-square foot project in Bedford County.

A spokeswoman for the Michigan-based supplier of automotive chassis and suspension parts referred questions to Tennessee officials.

A statement says SMW supplies parts for companies such as Nissan and Volkswagen.

Applications for production jobs will be accepted immediately at the Tennessee Career Center in Shelbyville. Production is scheduled to start this fall.

Source: Charlotte Business Journal

New Whirlpool plant to add 130 jobs in East Tennessee

Whirlpool Corp. will build a cooking appliance plant and distribution center creating 130 new jobs in Cleveland.

Whirlpool executives said Wednesday the project is part of the Benton Harbor, Mich., company’s commitment to manufacturing in the U.S.

The company will close a 100-year-old plant in Cleveland as part of the upgrade.

Construction is scheduled to start later this year, with a projected cost of $120 million.

The plant is expected to start production of built-in cooking appliances in early 2012.

Whirlpool currently has more than 2,000 employees in its Cleveland-based operations.

The existing factory should be empty by mid-2013 and Whirlpool will likely attempt to sell it.

Source: WATE.com