US Conec to Invest $149.7 Million in Hickory Expansion, Creating 224 New Jobs
HICKORY, N.C. — 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. The company will equip and upfit a 221,000-square-foot industrial building now under construction at the Catawba Commerce Center in Hickory's Fairgrove Business Park. The expansion and hiring are expected to be completed by the end of 2030.
Headquartered in Hickory since its founding in 1992, US Conec designs and manufactures the precision components behind high-density fiber connections for advanced computing infrastructure, enterprise networks and telecommunications systems worldwide. Demand for those products has grown rapidly alongside the nationwide build-out of digital infrastructure, and the Hickory expansion will add the production capacity the company needs to keep pace. In addition to the Fairgrove facility, US Conec is moving forward with a separate 40,000-square-foot building in Fairgrove Business Park and a new company headquarters in downtown Hickory adjacent to the Transportation Insight headquarters.
"We appreciate the strong partnership of Catawba County leaders as US Conec continues to grow in the community,” said Tracey Horton, president of US Conec. “This expansion will create highly skilled jobs, enhance our manufacturing capabilities in Catawba County, and help meet growing demand driven by deployments of advanced computing infrastructure. We look forward to continuing to invest in our team, our operations, and a community that has supported advanced manufacturing and our continued growth.”
"US Conec has called Hickory home for more than three decades, and today's announcement shows what a company that started here can grow into," said Hank Guess, Mayor of the City of Hickory. "This investment brings more than 200 new, good-paying jobs to our city, and once complete, it will make US Conec one of Hickory's largest employers and taxpayers. That means more opportunity for our residents and a stronger tax base for the services our community depends on. We are proud that US Conec chose to keep growing right here at home."
"Today's announcement further strengthens Catawba County’s standing as the nation's leader in communications technology," said Randy Isenhower, Chair of the Catawba County Board of Commissioners. "The fiber, cable and connectivity products made here are the backbone of the digital infrastructure and networks this country runs on, and US Conec's precision components are a critical part of that story."
“US Conec is truly one of our community's most technologically advanced companies, and the level of design, engineering and quality behind its products stands out across our region," said Jeff Cline, Chair of the Catawba County EDC Board of Directors. "That makes a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce a critical part of this expansion. We look forward to working closely with the teams at US Conec and with our education and workforce partners to develop, retain and recruit the talent the company will need for the future.”
Local incentive consideration for the project is anticipated at public hearings before the Hickory City Council and the Catawba County Board of Commissioners in mid-November, with those forthcoming times to be posted in the Hickory Daily Record and on the Catawba County EDC’s website (www.catawbaedc.org).
In addition to the City of Hickory and Catawba County, key partners in the project include the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, NC Department of Commerce, NC Community College System, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, Southeastern Industrial Solutions, Summit Real Estate Group, Commercial First, Transportation Insight and the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation.
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For more information on US Conec's announcement and how it affects our community, please click here.
For further details, please contact:
Nathan Huret, Vice President
Catawba County EDC
(828) 267-1564