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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 hearings and consider economic development agreements with Prysmian Cables and Systems USA, LLC (“Prysmian”) pursuant to North Carolina General Statute §158-7.1. This project involves the manufacture of fiber optic cable, telecommunications infrastructure products and related business systems. Performance-based grants will be considered with City and County total incentives not to exceed $28,631,106 and $27,328,135 respectively. Prysmian will create 385 new jobs and make an investment in taxable real and personal property improvements of up to $1,000,000,000.00. Failure to make the minimum investment and comply with other performance requirements will result in recapture of some or all incentive payments. The Claremont City Council and Catawba County Board of Commissioners intend to enter into economic development agreements to ensure performance and believe this project will help stimulate and stabilize the local economy. All interested persons are invited to attend this meeting to present their comments. Publish: August 15, 2026

Project Enzyme. Project Firestorm. Project Dolphin. Project So Awesome (yes, an actual name). Over the years, names like these have crossed our desks by the hundreds — in any given year, more than 120 potential projects come through our office, and the large majority of them arrive already wearing a code name like one of those. They just show up, we work the project to the best of our abilities, and either they become something real or quietly fade away. I want to say it was at a Rotary or Chamber presentation somewhere — someone in the crowd said, half-joking, “the EDC is basically the CIA of Catawba County.” I laughed, but I got why they said it — strange code names, projects nobody can talk about, information that seems to surface only after everyone else already knows. For the record, the closest I've ever come to actual espionage was a college internship application to the CIA that went nowhere. The agency clearly knew I wasn't cut out to be the next Jason Bourne. But the reasoning behind that confidentiality is worth explaining clearly because the confidentiality itself isn't something we naturally would choose. Whose Confidentiality Is This, Really? Here's the misconception, and it's an understandable one: people assume the secrecy around a project is our preference - that the EDC (or the local governments) is the one deciding what the public gets to know and when. That's not accurate. The confidentiality is the company's requirement, not ours, and that requirement comes from a few genuinely practical business reasons. Competitors are always paying attention. If a company is planning a new location, an expansion, or even a consolidation, getting that information out too early can hand a real advantage to whoever they're competing against. There's a human reason too: employees at a company's existing location shouldn't learn about a possible move or closure from a news article before they hear it from their own employer. A code name also helps level the playing field between companies — it keeps a smaller, less recognizable company from getting brushed aside in favor of a bigger name, at least until the project itself gets a fair and equal look. And frankly, some of the reasoning is just strategic timing: a company wants its own plans in order — talking to employees, briefing its board, preparing its own announcement — before the rest of the world finds out. For publicly traded companies especially, or businesses in highly competitive industries, that requirement sometimes comes formalized: we are occasionally asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement before a company will even share the specifics of what they're considering. When that happens, the obligation is legal, not just courteous. Who Actually Comes Up with These Names A question I get asked often, and one that always seems to entertain people: who names these projects? Usually, not us. Most opportunities arrive already named, typically by the state economic development partners we work alongside — the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina or the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, most often — or by the site consultants running the search on a company's behalf. There's often very little logic behind the name itself — I've seen fish, birds, cartoon characters, lawn and garden equipment parts and names that make you scratch your head trying to find the connection. Sometimes a consultant just has a favorite hobby, and every project that consultant touches gets named to match that hobby, whether or not the name has anything to do with what the company actually makes. So don't read too much into a code name; the name itself rarely tells you anything about the company behind the project. A large majority of the time we don't even know which company sits behind a code name ourselves, at least not at first. On the more tightly held projects, we can work for weeks or months through a site consultant as the go-between, evaluating sites and answering questions about the community without ever learning the company's actual identity until later in the process. That has a real upside though: evaluating a project without knowing the name behind it keeps the process impartial. It's harder to get swayed, one way or the other, by a recognizable corporate name when all we're actually looking at is the jobs, the investment, the economic impact, and the sector fit. Not knowing helps us stay fair to every company that comes through the door, whether it's a household name or one nobody's heard of. Not Every Code Name Becomes a Real Project It is also worth saying: most of those 100-plus names that come through in a given year never turn into an announcement at all. A company might choose a different state, decide not to expand after all, or simply go quiet. That's actually very normal, and it's actually part of why confidentiality matters so much — talking publicly about every code name that crosses our desk would mean constantly raising and dashing expectations for a community, over projects that were never going to materialize here in the first place. Confidentiality protects the company, but it also spares this community from a steady stream of false starts. How We Handle Confidentiality on Our End Because of all those reasons, we treat information about an active project carefully within our own office, with municipal staff, and with elected officials — who often get their first look at an opportunity through a closed session. A closed session is a portion of a regular City or County meeting where the public isn't present (and grounded in North Carolina General Statutes aka law), typically held near the end of an already-scheduled board/council meeting. Key staff and elected officials attend to hear an overview and ask questions. No vote happens there, and no formal action can be taken there — North Carolina law doesn't allow votes or formal action in closed session. A closed session is strictly a listening and question-asking opportunity for local officials, nothing more. What Breaking That Trust Would Actually Cost It's worth hypothetically playing through the scenario - what would happen if we didn't honor that confidentiality? If we talked publicly about a project before the company was ready? It is almost certain that we would lose that project entirely. Reminder from our second Economic Development 101 article back in late July, “0% of a project that goes somewhere else is what we would get”. Zero jobs. Zero invested into the community’s tax base. Zero even for the local businesses that stood to benefit as suppliers or vendors to that new company. Likewise, we truly do depend on the quality of our relationships with site consultants and state staff. With a great relationship intact, consultants will often look for ways to try and include your community in the consideration for an opportunity (where it makes sense). Break that trust and we would significantly damage that relationship now and for a very long time to come, curtailing the number of opportunities we would even see, especially since site consultants account for at least half of all projects we end up seeing. Even worse, word would spread amongst other consultants, with the fallout spreading well beyond the initial reach of Project “X” and that one consulting group. When a Project Finally Becomes Public The timing of when a project becomes public is mostly set by the company itself, but for projects receiving state or local incentive support, there's a fairly predictable pattern. In connection with the company, the Governor's office is typically first to announce a project's real name, usually tied to a state incentive program like the Job Development Investment Grant or the One NC Fund. That timing matters for a legal reason: state and local incentives both require a “but for” clause, where the company affirms that without the incentive support, the project wouldn't be happening here. The state's announcement effectively confirms that connection publicly. Around the same time, our EDC/local government offices put out a press release to local media with the same information, including a note that the relevant City or County government will be considering local incentive support. Not long after that, a legally required public hearing notice follows - published in local media at least 10 days before the hearing itself (here is a copy of a notice just posted for a 9/1 economic development public hearing), laying out the high-level project details and the local incentive amounts under consideration, along with the date, time, and location where residents can attend and speak. Why This Matters for You The confidentiality that can feel frustrating from the outside is actually what keeps opportunities coming to Catawba County in the first place. Companies need real assurance that sensitive information will stay protected before they'll even consider bringing an opportunity here, and that trust is part of what keeps us in consideration against other communities. At the same time, that confidentiality never extends to the vote itself. Once a project reaches the incentive-consideration stage, the public hearing notice and the hearing that follows are your genuine opportunity to see the details and weigh in before your elected officials decide anything - the same public process we walked through in our last two posts on incentives. Up next, we're pulling back the curtain on the recruitment process itself - how a project actually moves from first contact all the way to a final decision, and everything that happens along the way. Have a question about this post, or anything else in the series? Send it my way at nhuret@catawbacountync.gov.

You've probably seen the headline before: a new company is coming to Catawba County, bringing jobs and investment. Maybe it had a curious code name attached - "Project" something-or-other. Maybe there was a public hearing, or a mention of a tax incentive, or a number that made you wonder. If you've ever found yourself asking what any of this actually means for you - your tax bill, your neighborhood, your kids' schools - you're not alone. It's a fair question, and it deserves a real answer. So let's start at the beginning. Not our beginning this year, or even this decade - our actual beginning. Where This All Started In 1975, a Chamber of Commerce taskforce sat down and did something nobody had really bothered to do before: they counted. They looked at all 439 industrial firms operating in Catawba County and asked a simple question - what are we actually made of? The answer was a little unsettling. Over 70 percent of our industrial base sat in just three fields, mostly various corners of textiles and furniture. We had, in essence, put a few ostrich-sized eggs in one fairly small basket. If any one of those industries had a bad decade (which eventually did happen), the whole county would feel it (which we most definitely did). That study led to the creation of the Industrial Development Commission in 1978 - the organization that would eventually become the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) you know today. Funnily enough, I keep a copy of the February 1977 "Chamber Views" article that laid out the original case for the “Commission” in the back of the notebook I haul to most meetings, mostly as a reminder. The name has changed. The org chart has changed. Heck, even some of the problems then, remain problems today. But the mission on that page is basically the same one we're chasing today. Diversification was never really about the industries themselves. It was always about two things that mattered to actual people - opportunity (jobs, and the kind of jobs that let people build a life here) and a tax base broad enough that homeowners aren't the [only] ones left holding the whole bill for schools, roads, and services. It's what pays for a new trail at the park, keeps the lights on for a Tuesday night rec league game, and keeps fire, police, and EMS crews fully staffed and quick to respond. It's the difference between a downtown that empties out at 5:00PM and one that has a reason to stick around. What We Actually Do Our work generally falls into two buckets. The first is recruitment - working to bring new companies into the county that add to that diversification, which means lots of research, relationship-building with site selectors, developers and the real estate community, and finding the best ways to make the case why Catawba County is the right home for a growing company. The second is just as important, and it's the one people hear about the least: helping the employers who are already here grow, hire, and stay. A lot of our week and staff energy/time goes toward the businesses that have been part of this community for years, sometimes decades - and we've got a lot more to say about that work in an upcoming post, including some of what we're building right now in partnership with local companies. Where We Fit We're not a government office, but we're also not far removed from one. We're a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, funded operationally by local tax dollars - Catawba County and the Cities and Towns of Catawba, Claremont, Conover, Hickory, Maiden, and Newton all invest in this work. In practice, that makes us an extension of their municipal staffs, with one job and one job only: improve the local economy for the people who live in our respective Cities/Towns. So think of our role less as "a part of” government and more as "alongside" it: we do the groundwork, the research, the convening, the visioning. We're the ones often pulling people into a room to figure out what's possible, on behalf of the same six governments funding the effort. What we don't do is cast the final vote. When it comes to whether a specific incentive or project moves forward, that decision belongs to your elected officials, made in public. Our job is to bring them the clearest, most honest picture we can build — theirs is to decide. Why This is Personal, Not Just Professional It's worth knowing who's actually doing this work. Between the five and a half of us on staff, we carry more than 100 years of combined economic development experience — right here in Catawba County, not somewhere else. That's a lot of relationships built, a lot of deals we've learned from, and a lot of local knowledge otherwise obscured by a name like “EDC”. And yes, we live here too — raising kids in these schools, coaching in these leagues, choosing this county the same way a lot of you did. So when we talk about growing the tax base or bringing in new jobs, it isn't an abstract mission statement. We want it to be better for you, because it's better for us too. Where We Go From Here This is the first post in a series where we're going to walk through exactly how this process works — plainly, without the jargon, and without assuming you already know how any of it fits together. Up next: how local incentives actually work, and why a company doesn't just get handed a check. If you've ever wondered why a project shows up under a code name, or whether we're only interested in companies from outside the county, those posts are coming too. For now, the short version is this: this has been the work since 1978 — grow the county's economy in a way that benefits the people who already call it home, and be straightforward with you about how we do it. Nathan Huret is the Vice President of Catawba County EDC. Save a short 18-month stint that he left and worked at NC State, he has been with the EDC since 2007 and has led everything from the organization’s business retention and expansion efforts, to workforce programming, and now the EDC’s business recruitment efforts. This is the first post in an ongoing series from the Catawba County EDC team explaining how local economic development actually works. Have a potential topic you'd like us to address in a future post, please email Nathan Huret (nhuret@catawbacountync.gov).

Somewhere out there right now, someone is reading a headline about a new project coming to Catawba County, and there's a flicker of worry that this company's success — and its choice to land here — means a dollar is coming out of their own wallet or purse to make it happen. I get it. I'd think the same thing if I didn't do this for a living. It's probably the single most misunderstood piece of what we do, so let's take it head-on. First, a definition, because "incentive" gets thrown around loosely: in our world, a local incentive is a partial, time-limited reimbursement of the new property taxes a company generates by building or expanding here — nothing more, nothing less. Not an upfront grant. Not a blank check. Not money pulled from you or yours. We'll get to why that distinction matters in a minute. One more grounding note before we go further: none of this is something our office invented on our own. The whole process runs on North Carolina's Local Development Act (NC General Statute(s) 158-7.1) — state law, not local preference — and other states structure theirs quite differently. So what follows is specific to how Catawba County, and North Carolina, actually do this. Why we do this at all If Catawba County existed on an island, none of us would offer a dime. If we could keep 100% of the tax base benefit of every new company or expansion starting on day one, we would — no debate needed. But we don't operate on an island. Every company we recruit, and plenty of the ones already here, are comparing us against other counties, other states, sometimes other countries. Incentives are part of how that competition plays out almost everywhere, and if we opted out entirely while everyone else stayed in, we wouldn't be taking some principled stand — we'd just be losing. 0% of a project that goes somewhere else is what we would get. If that sounds uncomfortably close to everyday life, it should. You've probably waited for a Presidents Day sale on a dishwasher, taken the 0% APR deal at the dealership to finance that truck, or timed a shoe purchase to BOGO a second pair for 50% off. None of that talked you into buying something you didn't want. But if you were shopping for the same truck from Hickory to Barstow, California, the incentive might genuinely tip which dealer got your business when all else is equal. That's roughly the position we're in — except the "dealer" is a whole county, and the stakes are jobs and tax base instead of a car payment. We say "no" more than people think Here's the part that might surprise you: incentives aren't handed out just because a company asks. We turn down a lot of opportunities (I’d venture to say a very healthy majority) — companies whose wages don't clear our wage threshold (updated annually by the NC Department of Commerce, and for new companies we hold a higher bar, 110% of the county average), companies whose investment is too thin to broadly benefit the rest of us taxpayers, and sometimes companies whose operations just don't sit right with the community they'd be joining — think noxious fumes, heavy water and sewer draw, companies that create undesirable waste byproducts, or even a building nobody would be proud to drive past. Our office has recently taken on an unofficial motto: chase good companies, aspire higher, do it now. The reality is we do live in a great community with a lot of tremendous assets, and that puts us in a position to be selective. But companies are equally selective, so we can't get by on just our good looks (I tried that once — didn't get far). That's another reason incentives are a component of getting an opportunity across the finish line. How the money actually moves This is the misconception I most want to clear up: nobody gets paid upfront. A company has to build first, hire first, invest first (Step #1) — and prove it, with documentation sent straight to the Catawba County Tax Office and our EDC office — before a single incentive dollar is returned to the company. Because of this requirement (aka the company performs first), it is usually two to three years before any type of incentive reimbursement from the local government even starts. Once the company's investment is on the books, the county tax office assesses it at full market value, the same way your house gets assessed every January 1st. The company then pays 100% of the resulting property tax bill, at the normal rate, like anyone else (Step #2). Only after that does a portion of that new tax revenue — typically 50 to 75 percent — get returned to the company (Step #3), for an agreed-upon number of years spelled out in a contract before any of this starts. Break it down to simple numbers: the company pays us a dollar in new taxes, and we return fifty cents of it. We keep the other fifty cents. No other taxpayer's dollar is involved — the company is, in effect, funding its own incentive out of taxes that didn't exist in our county before they showed up. And it's worth being precise here: this only ever applies to the new taxes tied to the new investment. If a company already had a facility here, they always pay 100% on their existing machinery and buildings — no incentive we offer ever touches what was already on the books before this deal. The incentive only ever applies to whatever's new. Why this matters for your tax bill That "fifty cents we keep" isn't an abstraction — it's police coverage, fire and EMS response times, ensuring clean water flows out of your tap, the trail at the park we mentioned last time. And when the incentive term ends, which every one of them eventually does (typically after 3-5 years), 100% of that new tax revenue starts flowing to the county and cities for good. That's the diversified tax base we talked about in our first post — now you can see the mechanics behind it. What's still ahead We're only three steps into this explainer which may be a six-step process, and I'll be honest with you: there are entire books — real, published, footnoted books — written on the legal structure of local government incentives. Two shorts posts here aren't going to do the subject full justice, and I don't want to pretend otherwise. But we have to start somewhere, and plain language beats no explanation at all. Next time, we'll cover the other half of the six steps: the legally-binding contracts, the annual monitoring, and what happens — including real financial penalties — when a company doesn't hold up its end. That's the safeguard piece and important safety net each of us have as citizens and taxpayers. If there's a piece of this you want us to slow down on, or a question this raised that we didn't answer, send it my way at nhuret@catawbacountync.gov. This series only works if it's answering what you're actually curious about.

Study commissioned by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance outlines life sciences growth opportunities and an evidence-based strategy for targeted investment This Media Release is from the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. 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. The study’s findings point to the Charlotte Region’s niche identity in medical technologies (“medtech”) and manufacturing operations. The region is home to 160 life sciences companies that employ 12,400 workers. Pictured: A row of vaccine vials moves along an advanced pharmaceutical production line, highlighting the precision and scale of modern vaccine manufacturing. “The Charlotte Region is already a medtech hub with established companies and trained workers built into our economy,” said Tracy Dodson, COO and head of economic development for the CLT Alliance. “This work gives us a clear, data-backed strategy for where to focus next so we can continue growing intentionally." The four-phase study engaged more than 50 stakeholders, representing higher education, real estate developers, local economic development, and industry leaders in life sciences. Insights from these interviews combined with a regional data analysis and benchmarking were used to determine the four primary target subsectors to help shape the Charlotte Region’s business recruitment strategy: medical technologies, which includes equipment and technologies used to diagnose, treat, and monitor medical conditions; contract manufacturing and technical services, which includes outsourced development, manufacturing, testing and packaging services; biologics, which includes production or packaging of drugs derived from living organisms; and nutrition and consumer health, which includes products and research focused on supplements, functional food, and consumer-driven health solutions. The study also identified secondary opportunities in small molecule pharmaceuticals, which include chemically synthesized drugs like over-the-counter medications; research tools and lab technologies; and digital health and health information technology, which includes software, data, and technology solutions that improve healthcare delivery. Pictured: Innovation starts with research. From the laboratory to the marketplace, science is creating new opportunities for agriculture, industry and our region. "Charlotte's opportunity is to connect its strengths: manufacturing, health systems, transportation, and a growing research base," said Charlotte-based Dr. Kulleni Gebreyes, vice chair and U.S. Life Sciences and Health Care industry leader, Deloitte. "With targeted investment and coordination, that manufacturing base could become the region's signature: a distinct identity that could draw talent, capital and opportunity." The case for Charlotte Charlotte has a well-established ecosystem for targeted life sciences attraction. The region is home to: More than 100 years of manufacturing heritage Several major health systems Charlotte Douglas International Airport The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, which was recently awarded R1 status Existing life science industry activity, including investments in The Pearl and the Wake Forest University School of Medicine When it comes to talent, workers in the advanced manufacturing and technology sectors have transferable skillsets that can be carried over directly into these target sectors. “We evaluated a number of markets for our expansion, and the Charlotte Region stood out for the infrastructure it already has in place, including its research talent, logistics access, and a health care system ready to partner on clinical work,” said Zach Henderson, chief executive officer of MindMaze Therapeutics. “The Pearl gave us a well-equipped space inside a community of peers already doing this work, which made Charlotte the clear choice for our next chapter.” The Pearl is a 26-acre innovation district in Charlotte anchored by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Connect Labs by Wexford, and IRCAD North America to create a collaborative hub for medical education, research, and surgical training. North Carolina has long been a leader in life sciences. Within North Carolina's life sciences landscape, Raleigh-Durham’s Research Triangle Park remains the dominant hub for research and development. Other emerging corridors like the Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem and the Biopharma Crescent in eastern North Carolina fill critical roles in medicinal research and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, respectively. The Charlotte Region plays a complementary role with a growing niche in medical devices and equipment, surgical technologies, and pharmaceutical production through already-established companies like Eli Lilly, Bestco, and groninger. To the south, South Carolina's growing life sciences sector adds to the Charlotte Region's position, anchored by top research institutions, global employers, and world-class hospital systems in Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville. Located along the North Carolina–South Carolina border, the Charlotte Region is uniquely connected to the full breadth of the Carolinas ecosystem. “South Carolina’s talented workforce and strong life sciences ecosystem made it clear this was the right home for our first U.S. manufacturing facility,” said Octapharma USA President Flemming Nielsen. “This is just the beginning of a long partnership with Rock Hill and York County, one that will strengthen America’s domestic supply of life-saving, plasma-based therapies for patients, hospitals and those who serve our country.” Partnerships with North Carolina Biotechnology Center and SCBio present a further opportunity to deepen the Charlotte Region's integration into the broader Carolinas ecosystem and strengthen its standing in the sector. The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance is also collaborating with the City of Charlotte on a complementary study and strategic framework plan for life sciences growth in the city. "Our research reinforced what we're hearing from employers across the sector: talent and funding are the two levers that will determine how fast this industry grows here,” said Shahid Rana, director of economic development for the City of Charlotte. “Partnering with the CLT Alliance on this work means we can move directly from data to action, together." Turning data into strategy The study is already informing action in the Charlotte Region. Three key recommendations for the CLT Alliance emerged from the research: Strengthen the ecosystem by exploring ways to align industry stakeholders, create connectivity, and advocate for life sciences-enabling infrastructure Build competitive capabilities through economic development capacity, data intelligence, and market intelligence Position the region by promoting a manufacturing-led health innovation ecosystem "These recommendations give us a shared playbook," said Nathan Huret, vice president of Catawba County Economic Development Corporation. "We’re telling a unified story of how the Charlotte Region is already a key player in the life sciences industry. Every county in the Charlotte Region benefits from that work, and we can point to real evidence when we're making the case for why a company in medtech or pharma or nutraceuticals should come here.” The CLT Alliance is already working with regional partners to translate the findings into a targeted recruitment strategy — one that identifies the right companies, the right sectors, and the right markets to pursue. This study gives the Charlotte Region a clear roadmap to build its own identity within the Carolinas' established life sciences sector. The region offers a high-value cost structure compared to many traditional life sciences markets, along with a manufacturing workforce with transferable skills. The Charlotte Region is well positioned for targeted life sciences investment, with a sharp focus on medical technologies and manufacturing-led opportunities. ### For more information, please contact: Ashley Hedrick, VP of Marketing Communications, and Engagement Charlotte Regional Business Alliance 336-250-4540 ahedrick@charlotteregion.com Nathan Huret, Vice President Catawba County EDC (828) 267-1564 nhuret@catawbacountync.gov

CLAREMONT, N.C. — 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. The expansion, which includes a new glass manufacturing facility, additional cable production capacity, and an expanded research and development center, is expected to be complete by 2030. Pictured: Prysmian Fiber Reels loaded on a truck. Prysmian, the Milan-headquartered parent company of Prysmian North America, is the world's largest manufacturer of cables and systems for energy and telecommunications. The company employs more than 34,000 people across 50 countries and serves customers across broadband infrastructure, power transmission, and advanced communications markets. The Claremont facility — one of the company's flagship North American production sites — has been a cornerstone of Catawba County's advanced manufacturing economy for decades, producing the fiber optic cable that underpins broadband expansion, 5G and 6G networks, and the high-capacity digital infrastructure driving demand for connectivity nationwide. The announced expansion will add approximately 900,000 square feet to the existing campus, including a new glass factory that will vertically integrate the facility's fiber production capabilities, a significant expansion of cable manufacturing operations, and new R&D facilities that will strengthen the site's role as a center of technical innovation within the Prysmian footprint. The company will hold a groundbreaking for the Claremont expansion in mid-September. "The $1 billion investment we are making in Claremont reaffirms our commitment not only to the local community but also to supporting advanced digital solutions throughout the United States,” said Andrea Pirondini, CEO, Prysmian North America. “Prysmian is one of just three domestic manufacturers of fiber and optical cables, so the products developed at Claremont are vitally important to enact transformational capacity growth.” "This is a historic day for Catawba County," said Randy Isenhower, Chair of the Catawba County Board of Commissioners. "No single manufacturing project in our county's history has approached this scale — in jobs, in investment, or in long-term economic impact. Prysmian's commitment to Claremont and to our region is a powerful statement about the strength of what we have built here together, and we are proud to stand behind their continued growth." "An investment of this magnitude is genuinely transformational for a community like Claremont," said Shawn R. Brown, Mayor of the City of Claremont. "When a company of Prysmian's stature commits to creating hundreds of new jobs and investing more than a billion dollars right here, it changes what is possible for our residents, our families, and our future. Having lived in Claremont my entire life, I have personally seen the growth in the fiber optic and telecom industry firsthand, and I'm personally grateful for the continued investment that Prysmian is making here. We are deeply proud and incredibly excited about what this means for our city. Prysmian is truly a cornerstone of industry in the City of Claremont.” "This announcement is further confirmation Catawba County is the preeminent location in the United States for communications technology manufacturing," said Jeff Cline, Chair of the Catawba County EDC Board of Directors. "Prysmian joins Corning Optical Communications, CommScope and others in a remarkable concentration of companies producing the fiber, cable, and connectors that connect our nation. This cluster is second to none, and projects like this one ensure it will continue to lead for generations to come." The Catawba County Board of Commissioners and the Claremont City Council will hold a joint public hearing on Tuesday, September 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the Catawba 3 Room of the Hickory Metro Convention Center to consider local incentives associated with Prysmian’s expansion. In addition to Catawba County and the City of Claremont, 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, Atlas Insight, and the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation. About Prysmian North America Based in Highland Heights, Ky., Prysmian North America is a benchmark player creating solutions for energy and digital connections, delivering major electrical transmission projects, modernizing power grids, and unlocking renewable energy, electrification, and digital connectivity worldwide. Prysmian’s strategy is perfectly aligned with the main market drivers by developing resilient, high performing, sustainable, and innovative cable systems for the transmission, power grid, electricity, and digital solutions segments. Prysmian’s North American operations include more than 50 locations and 9,000 associates with sales of $9 billion. Additional information is available at na.prysmian.com. Globally, Prysmian is enabled by its 34,000 employees, 109 production facilities and 30 R&D centers in over 50 countries. Prysmian is a public company, listed on the Italian stock exchange and recorded 2025 revenues of approximately €20 billion. ### For more information on Prysmian'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 nhuret@catawbacountync.gov

Originally published on GrepBeat, July 27, 2026 at https://grepbeat.com/2026/07/27/kathedras-innovative-approach-to-upholstery-automation/ 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. Read the rest of the article on GrepBeat at https://grepbeat.com/2026/07/27/kathedras-innovative-approach-to-upholstery-automation/

by David Mildenberg, originally published here by Business NC, 7/30/2026 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.” Hickory's pedestrian bridge across Hwy 321 on the city's Aviation Walk, part of the Hickory Trail System In a July 15 report for his Southeast Economic Advisors firm, he notes how the county reflects the “two-speed economy” in which traditional goods production is cutting jobs, while “construction crews and advanced-materials investments are remaking the economic map.” What’s most remarkable, he reports, is that improving prospects in the Hickory region follows a multi-decade slide dating to the mid-1990s. The county’s unemployment rate was about 1.8% in 1999 and the region’s textiles, furniture and optical-cable companies couldn’t find enough workers. But the North American Free Trade Agreement, enacted in 1994, shifted traditional manufacturing to lower-cost nations from the Catawba Valley. It was initially masked by the growing cable business, but the 2001 dot-com debacle hit communications networking very hard, hurting the region. Over the next decade after NAFTA took effect, furniture employment fell by 50%, and has continued to decline. Textile firms that employed about 12,000 now have fewer than 1,500 workers. Unemployment reached nearly 15% in 2010, among the highest rates in the U.S. Many homes in Hickory could be acquired for less than $100,000, Vitner recalls. Fortunately, Catawba County’s fiber manufacturing sector led by Corning and CommScope rebounded and now is powering the region. The companies’ prospects are soaring because data centers require so much fiber, sparking much-publicized plans by Corning to expand aggressively in the region. It has announced major contracts with Big Tech giants Amazon, Nvidia and Meta. The latter company’s business will make Corning’s Hickory plant the largest in global optical cable manufacturing when it comes online next year, Vitner notes. Microsoft has committed at least $1 billion for four data center campuses in Conover, Hickory, Maiden and Newton. The plans stalled, but construction is now underway and promises to have a major impact, says Vitner, who spent much of his career with Wells Fargo and its predecessor Charlotte banks. He also credits Hickory and state leadership for effective “soft infrastructure” investments to make the region more attractive for residents and newcomers. The Catawba Valley Community College, Appalachian State University and Lenoir-Rhyne University campuses make higher education a regional strength, ”The training pipeline is doing real work, not simply granting degrees,” he says. Vitner says the region isn’t “riding a consumer boom or a speculative bubble. It is attracting durable, capital-intensive investment into the high-value end of the economy.” The area has enjoyed “some real leadership,” he says. “It’s encouraging to see Hickory has rolled with the punches, reinvented itself and used assets left behind to prepare for the next thing. It’s great to watch.”

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 transportation capabilities. Control Technologies is among a select group of teams invited to compete in the Challenge, which will take place at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, during August 2026. The competition brings together entrepreneurs, universities, engineers, and technology companies from around the world to demonstrate breakthrough advancements in propulsion, aerodynamics, controls, materials, and systems integration. Participation in the DARPA Lift Challenge reflects Control Technologies' commitment to engineering innovation, advanced automation, aerospace technologies, and the development of practical solutions for complex operational challenges. "We are honored to have the opportunity to participate in the DARPA Lift Challenge alongside some of the world's most innovative engineering teams," said Wes Lampkin, President, Control Technologies, LLC. "This competition aligns perfectly with our culture of innovation and our commitment to developing transformative technologies that solve real-world problems." The company's challenge entry leverages Control Technologies' expertise in engineering design, controls integration, manufacturing, and advanced technology development. Through participation in the competition, Control Technologies aims to contribute to the advancement of next-generation unmanned aerial systems capable of supporting defense, emergency response, infrastructure, logistics, and industrial applications. DARPA announced that more than 100 teams out of 400 plus applications from over 20 countries will participate in the Lift Challenge, competing for a share of $6.5 million in prize funding while advancing the state of the art in heavy-lift aviation.

June 30, 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HICKORY, N.C. — 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. With roots tracing back to 1705 and formal establishment in 1946, Goldhofer has grown from a small forge operation into an internationally recognized leader in premium transport solutions. Headquartered in Memmingen, Germany, the company employs approximately 1,000 people globally and generates annual revenues of approximately €300 million, with manufacturing, service, and sales operations spanning Europe, North America, India, and the Middle East. Goldhofer’s product portfolio includes heavy-duty mechanical and self-propelled trailers for demanding industrial loads, as well as a leading line of airport technology products - including towbarless aircraft tractors used by major airlines worldwide. The new Hickory facility will be constructed on Lot 5 at Trivium Corporate Center, with an initial 80,000-square-foot production hall. Additional phases of development are anticipated, as the company continues to expand its presence in the North American market. Pictured: Goldhofer Tractor shown at Charlotte Douglas International Airport "When we thought about where Goldhofer needs to grow in North America, North Carolina kept rising to the top. Skilled people, solid infrastructure, and a business environment that supports manufacturing. We're committing to the US for the long haul, and Hickory is where we will start the next chapter," said David Weinmann, CEO of Goldhofer Inc. "Welcoming Goldhofer to Catawba County means welcoming a company with deep roots in a manufacturing tradition that our community knows well," said Randy Isenhower, Chair of the Catawba County Board of Commissioners. "Goldhofer joins a strong and growing family of European-headquartered companies that have chosen to invest here, and that is no accident. It reflects the quality of our workforce, the strength of our infrastructure, and the relationships we have built with international industry over many years." Mayor Hank Guess of the City of Hickory added, “When Hickory voters approved the 2014 Bond Referendum, they made a statement about the kind of community we wanted to become. Goldhofer’s arrival — as the project that completes Trivium Corporate Center — is the fulfillment of that vision. This is exactly the kind of advanced manufacturing investment that strengthens our community and creates real opportunity for our residents, and we look forward to a long partnership.” "There is simply no company quite like Goldhofer anywhere in our region," said Jeff Cline, Chair of the Catawba County EDC Board of Directors. "This is the world leader in the design and production of some of the most specialized and extraordinary vehicles on earth — from the heaviest industrial transport equipment to the aircraft tractors that move planes at the world's busiest airports. For our citizens, that means career opportunities that didn't exist here before, and we couldn't be more proud to call them neighbors." Pictured: Goldhofer THP/DC, heavy-duty-dual-lane modular trailer designed for oversized cargo. A public hearing for local incentive consideration is scheduled for today, June 30th at 2:00pm by the Catawba County Board of Commissioners and the Hickory City Council. In addition to Catawba County and the City of Hickory, other key partners in the project include the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, NC Department of Commerce, NC Community College System, Catawba Valley Community College, David E. Looper & Company, Ardurra, Parker Poe Consulting, Kohlbecker, Gray AES, Engineering Consulting Services (ECS) and Catawba County Economic Development Corporation. ### For further details, please contact: Nathan Huret, Vice President Catawba County EDC (828) 267-1564 nhuret@catawbacountync.gov

June 23, 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — 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. Although public interest in data centers was minimal when this project was announced, it has since become part of a much broader national discussion. As our local project has progressed, questions about community impact have been raised. Those questions are fair, and residents deserve clear answers based on the facts of this project, the local utility systems serving it, and the communities directly affected by it. With any development, matters of water usage, infrastructure demands, environmental impact, and community growth deserve thoughtful discussion and transparency. For generations, this region supported furniture, textiles, and manufacturing. As those traditional industries have changed, local leaders have had to adapt by building on what Catawba County already does well by finding new uses for the land, systems, skills, and industrial know-how that have long driven our local economy. Microsoft’s investment in our community is not an isolated project. It is instead part of Catawba County’s larger economic development strategy that has been building over the last 20 years. It reflects our efforts to diversify our manufacturing foundation while embracing our position as fiber optic production capital of the world. This strategic industry cluster, anchored here in Catawba County, supports thousands of well-paying jobs locally and across the region. We cannot ignore the connection between these industries, our existing workforce strengths, and the type of investment our community is now attracting. Together, they represent a competitive advantage for our community. Data centers may look different from traditional manufacturing, but they depend on many of the same fundamentals: reliable utilities, fiber connectivity, skilled trades, construction expertise, maintenance, and workforce training. Those are strengths this region already understands and has spent generations building. This project is not a deviation from Catawba County’s manufacturing history, but the next phase of it. Catawba County is not new to data center development. Apple opened its first data center campus in all of North America in Maiden more than a decade ago, and the broader western North Carolina region is home to major data center investments by established technology companies, including Google in Lenoir and Meta, formerly Facebook, in Forest City. These projects have become part of a regional economy that also includes manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, utilities, education, small business, and public services. Community-First Infrastructure In line with its Community-First Infrastructure commitment, Microsoft’s sites in Catawba County will pay property taxes based on the full value of the buildings, equipment, and infrastructure located on site. The local agreements pursuant to this project are currently being amended to reflect this initiative. Data centers typically generate substantial property value due to the scale of the buildings, equipment, and technology infrastructure involved. At the same time, they generally place lower demand on traditional municipal services than many other types of development. They do not typically create significant school enrollment growth, daily commuter traffic, solid waste collection needs, or frequent police and fire calls for service. That combination matters to residents in a practical way. New taxable investment helps pay for the services and improvements communities count on, including firefighters, police officers, public safety equipment, parks, roads, water and sewer improvements, and other local needs. When major investments help carry that cost, residents and small businesses are not left carrying it alone. Water Use The current drought brings local water capacity into sharp focus and raises legitimate questions about what industries local leaders are trying to attract. Our region’s core legacy industries, including textiles and manufacturing, have historically been intensive water users. Microsoft’s facilities will use water as well, but they are expected to primarily rely on other cooling technologies. Microsoft has also committed through its Community-First Infrastructure initiative to reduce water use, improve data center water efficiency, and replenish more water than it withdraws in the communities where it operates. The City of Hickory provides water service to all data center sites in Catawba County, both existing and under construction. Because these facilities are expected to primarily rely on modern, less water-intensive cooling methods, once fully operational they are projected to use approximately 1% of the City of Hickory’s daily water production capacity. Not all data center projects are created equally. Local governments routinely evaluate whether proposed industry projects can be served by existing and planned infrastructure. Projects with utility demands beyond our ability to responsibly serve are not pursued. Broad national examples involving data centers in chronically water-stressed regions or overburdened local utility systems do not accurately reflect the impact or circumstances of the data center projects currently operating or under construction in Catawba County. Our Local Commitment Local permitting decisions in Catawba County will not determine the future of technology nationally or globally. But they will determine how growth happens in our communities. As this project moves forward, Catawba County and its municipal partners commit to manage growth responsibly, protect our resources, and ensure that any new investment creates lasting benefits for residents. Media Contact Scott Millar, President Catawba County Economic Development Corporation 828-267-1564 | smillar@catawbacountync.gov

HICKORY, N.C. — 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 state-of-the-art facility, located within Hickory’s growing Innovation District, will serve as a hub for hands-on learning, advanced technology training, and regional collaboration. The complex is designed to prepare students, working adults, and industry partners for success in high-demand careers while honoring the legacy of racing legend and skilled tradesman Dale Earnhardt. “This is a truly exciting day for the City of Hickory, for CVCC, and for our entire region,” said Hank Guess, Mayor of Hickory. “This complex represents both remarkable vision and the spirit of collaboration that defines our community. It is more than a facility—it is a keystone landmark that connects education, innovation, and opportunity, positioning Hickory for extraordinary long-term growth.” Dr. Garrett Hinshaw, President of CVCC, emphasized the broader impact of the complex on the region’s future workforce and economy. “Today is about far more than a building—it is about opportunity, vision, and the future we are choosing to build together,” said Hinshaw. “This complex stands as a powerful symbol of what happens when education, industry, and community align. Here, ideas will become prototypes, skills will become careers, and curiosity will turn into confidence.” The Dale Earnhardt Regional Innovation Complex reflects the values of determination, craftsmanship, and hard work that defined Earnhardt’s life—principles that remain central to CVCC’s mission. Through cutting-edge classrooms, simulation labs, and hands-on training environments, the facility will provide an individualized educational experience that connects students directly to meaningful career pathways. Jennifer Jones, CVCC Chief Development Officer and Executive Director of the CVCC Foundation, expressed gratitude for the partnerships that made the project possible, particularly the support of the Dale Earnhardt Foundation. “This facility is more than just a building—it is where passion meets purpose,” said Jones. “It reflects a commitment to hands-on learning and opportunity that mirrors so much of what Dale Earnhardt valued. Here, students are building, creating, and mastering the skills that lead directly to meaningful careers in high-demand fields.” Jones also highlighted the Dale Earnhardt Foundation’s broader impact, including its support of CVCC’s nationally ranked bass fishing team—an initiative that connects to Earnhardt’s personal love for the outdoors and fishing. In a statement, Teresa Earnhardt, representing the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, shared why the organization chose to invest in the project: “CVCC’s Regional Innovation Complex truly honors Dale’s legacy as a champion of the working class. This facility reflects who he was at his core—someone who believed in hard work, hands-on learning, and creating opportunities for others. Dale began his career as a welder inside tanker trucks and understood firsthand the value of skilled trades. What we see here is an individualized educational experience that equips students with the valuable skills they need to build meaningful careers. It’s a valuable tribute to Dale’s journey and the values he carried with him throughout his life.” The complex also stands as a testament to the power of regional collaboration, bringing together CVCC, the City of Hickory, the Hickory Aviation Museum, and numerous public and private partners to create a destination for education and workforce innovation. As the ribbon was cut, community leaders, educators, students, and partners celebrated not just the opening of a new facility—but the beginning of a new chapter for workforce development in Western North Carolina.