州长 Josh Stein 宣布 US Conec 投资逾1.497亿美元在 Hickory 扩建：新增224个岗位
北卡罗来纳州州长 Josh Stein 10月22日在 Raleigh 宣布，全球高密度光互连设计与制造企业 US Conec Ltd. 将在 Catawba 县新增224个就业岗位，并投资逾1.497亿美元在 Hickory 建设一座20万平方英尺的现代化制造基地，用于先进制造、研发、行政运营与配送。
US Conec 自1992年创立起总部一直设在 Hickory，为全球先进计算基础设施、企业网、电信网、电路板互连及工业与军工市场供应关键元器件。州商务厅称，新增岗位涵盖工程师、操作员、技术员与后勤人员，年均工资56,982美元，高于 Catawba 县平均水平的56,937美元，预计每年为当地带来超过1,270万美元的工资总额。
作为支持条件，州政府将通过「同一个北卡」基金（One North Carolina Fund）提供50万美元的绩效拨款，企业须达到就业与投资目标方可兑现，且须有地方政府配套。US Conec 总裁 Tracey Horton、州商务厅厅长 Lee Lilley、州参议员 Mark Hollo 与州众议员 Jay Adams 均对项目表示欢迎。参与项目落地的还包括北卡罗来纳州商务厅、州经济发展合作署、州议会、社区学院系统、Catawba Valley Community College、Duke Energy、Piedmont Natural Gas、Catawba 县、Hickory 市及县经济发展公司。（GSM 据北卡罗来纳州商务厅发布）
Governor Josh Stein Announces US Conec Will Invest More Than $149.7 Million in Hickory Expansion: 224 New Jobs
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced in Raleigh on October 22 that US Conec Ltd., a global leader in the design and manufacturing of high-density optical interconnects, will add 224 new jobs in Catawba County and invest more than $149.7 million to build a 200,000-square-foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Hickory for advanced manufacturing, research and development, administrative operations and distribution.
Headquartered in Hickory since its founding in 1992, US Conec provides components worldwide for advanced computing infrastructure, enterprise networks, telecommunications networks, circuit board interconnects, and industrial and military markets. The state Commerce Department said the new positions, covering engineers, operators, technicians and support staff, will pay an average salary of $56,982, above the Catawba County average of $56,937, potentially creating an annual payroll impact of more than $12.7 million for the region.
A performance-based grant of $500,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will support the expansion; the company must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment, and local governments must provide matching participation. US Conec President Tracey Horton, Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley, state Senator Mark Hollo and state Representative Jay Adams welcomed the project. Other partners include the N.C. Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the General Assembly, the community college system, Catawba Valley Community College, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, Catawba County, the City of Hickory and the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation. (GSM, based on the N.C. Department of Commerce release)
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：Hickory 市政大楼（北卡罗来纳州）。图片：Tylerg，CC BY-SA 3.0，来源 Wikimedia Commons
