US Conec, a global leader in the design, development, and manufacturing of high-density optical interconnects, today announced a $149.7 million expansion of its Hickory manufacturing operations that will create 224 new jobs at an average annual wage of more than $56,937 and retain the company's approximately 300 existing local jobs.

CATAWBA COUNTY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PURSUANT TO NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL STATUTE §158-7.1 LEGAL NOTICE Catawba County proposes to appropriate and expend County funds for an economic development project pursuant to North Carolina General Statute §158-7.1. The Catawba County Board of Commissioners intends to consider entering into an economic development agreement with Project Sandstone. Catawba County believes the project will help stimulate and stabilize the local eco

Utili-Serve, LLC, a utility infrastructure construction company, has announced plans to invest at least $11 million to expand its Conover headquarters and manufacturing facility, creating at least 150 new jobs over the next three years.

Economic development in rural communities rarely happens because of the work of one organization. Long before a company announces plans to locate or expand, local, regional, state, and federal partners are working together to strengthen communities, prepare infrastructure, develop sites, support businesses, and position rural areas to compete for new investment.

Prysmian celebrates the groundbreaking ceremony for a more than $1B expansion project in Claremont. The investment is expected to create 385 new local jobs and expand domestic fiber and optical cable manufacturing capacity.

The backbone of the Catawba County economy is largely comprised of businesses that operate data centers or supply key components to the industry. That’s a result of decades of economic development strategy and positioning.

Prysmian, an electrical wire and fiber optic cable manufacturer, plans to invest $1 billion and expand an existing facility by 900,000 square feet in Catawba County. In exchange for the new $1 billion investment and jobs, the company could receive a return of more than $50 million after paying property taxes to the county and city over 10 years.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Charlotte Region is well-positioned to compete for targeted life sciences investment. A new study commissioned by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and conducted by Deloitte charts a path to get there, translating the region's existing life sciences momentum into an evidence-based strategy for focused, long-term growth.

CITY OF CLAREMONT AND CATAWBA COUNTY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS PURSUANT TO NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL STATUTE § 158-7.1 LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given of Public Hearings to be held at a Special Joint Meeting of the Claremont City Council and Catawba County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., at the Hickory Metro Convention Center, 1960 13th Ave Dr SE, Hickory, North Carolina. The City of Claremont and Catawba County will hold public hearin

Prysmian North America, the leading provider of solutions for energy and digital connections, today announced a major expansion of its existing Claremont facility that will add more than 385 new jobs and represent an investment exceeding $1 billion — the largest manufacturing project in Catawba County history.

Charlotte economist Mark Vitner, a keen observer of the Carolinas business community for decades, recently called Hickory and Catawba County “one of the most important industrial stories in the Southeast right now.”

Conover, NC — Control Technologies, LLC is proud to announce its participation in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Lift Challenge, a national competition focused on advancing the future of heavy vertical-lift unmanned aircraft systems. The DARPA Lift Challenge seeks innovative aircraft designs capable of carrying payloads exceeding four times their own weight, with the goal of revolutionizing both military and commercial aerial logistics and transportatio

It is estimated that some one out of three upholsterers have chronic musculoskeletal disorders like carpal tunnel and back pain. In Conover North Carolina, an emerging startup called Kathedra wants to do away with that pain and elevate the art of upholstery. It aims to do so by designing automated robots to handle more repetitive, physically demanding tasks like stapling down panels or fastening steel bands.

Goldhofer AG, a globally recognized German manufacturer of specialized heavy transport and airport ground support equipment, announced today that it will establish a new North American production facility and United States headquarters at Trivium Corporate Center in Hickory, North Carolina. The company plans to invest more than $20 million and create up to 80 new jobs by the end of 2030.

In November 2022, Catawba County, the Cities of Conover and Hickory, the Town of Maiden, and the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation announced Microsoft’s plan to invest a minimum of $1 billion in the phased development of four data centers in Catawba County over a 10-year period. As our local project has progressed, questions about community impact have been raised and deserve thoughtful discussion and transparency.

Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) and the CVCC Foundation, in partnership with the City of Hickory and regional leaders, celebrated the official ribbon cutting of the Dale Earnhardt Regional Innovation Complex on April 22, 2026—marking a transformative investment in workforce development, innovation, and educational opportunity for the Catawba Valley region.

The Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC), a division of Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC), is proud to announce the successful renewal of its ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation.

Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) and Meta Platforms, Inc. (Nasdaq: META) today marked the start of construction on a significant expansion of Corning’s optical cable manufacturing capacity in Hickory, North Carolina, reinforcing their collaboration to support the buildout of advanced AI data centers using technology developed and manufactured in the United States.

Originally published at https://siteselectorsguild.com/redi-sites-round-four/ REDI Sites , a site readiness verification program created by the Site Selectors Guild, has announced its Round Four designations, recognizing 17 industrial sites that have met the program’s criteria for investment rea diness. This round marks a major milestone in the growth of REDI Sites: Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oklahoma previously had no designated REDI Sites. With this announ

By Courtney Roberts Posted March 3, 2026 at 1:25 p.m. at https://today.appstate.edu/2026/03/03/golden-leaf BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University has been awarded $500,000 in funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation, which supports the establishment of a nursing simulation and clinical learning lab at the App State Hickory campus . App State senior nursing major Kimber Blackburn, left, practices her nursing skills under the direction of Dr. Melinda Bogardus, assistant prof