MEBANE, N.C. — UPS and Toyota are just two companies planning to come to the Triad and bring thousands of jobs over the next few years.
Toyota will build a battery manufacturing facility at the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite.
It will be Toyota's first North American battery plant. Officials said it'll create at least 1,750 jobs, with an average yearly salary of $62,000. Randolph County's overall average annual wage is currently just under $38,000.
Another site on the other side of the Triad is under construction right now. UPS is building a center in Alamance County. Originally announced in 2020, the site is part of the North Carolina Commerce Park and sits in between Graham and Mebane.
Mebane Mayor Pro-Tem Tim Bradley said UPS will bring 450 jobs with an average salary of $65,000 to the area.
"It's an excellent opportunity. There's a couple of things that would benefit the community from a development like this. Obviously, the jobs are the key. Also, the tax base. This would be bringing in $3 million dollars a year in taxes which helps keep our tax rate low for our citizens," he said.
Bradley said the site will have a multiplier effect and present an opportunity for more jobs to come to the area.
"When you have one company coming in then like companies come in to support. Then, of course, this is a fortune 500 company which sort of puts us on the map as far as other fortune 500 companies looking to develop. This way that everyone knows that Mebane is a business-friendly community as is this industrial park," said Bradley.
Greensboro's Workforce Development Director Chris Rivera said all of the new facilities provide endless possibilities for the area.
"It’s just a really positive trickle effect when you get these level of jobs announcements in a confined area such as the triad so we're really really excited about it," Rivera said.
Despite the pandemic, Rivera said he doesn't anticipate a challenge filling these jobs as the workforce starts to bounce back.
"We look at the organic growth of people that are coming into the community, individuals that are graduating out of the K-12 system, community colleges, the higher education system, this simply means that there are meaningful jobs for them to stay here in the Triad," Rivera said.
Bradley said the jobs will bring more people to the area, and put money right back into the community.
"Right up front, the 450 jobs and $65,000, that’s 30 million dollars a year in income into the community, which goes to local shops local stores. These employees will have to find places to live so there will be jobs for contractors to build homes individuals to sell land, car dealers to sell cars," Bradley said.
Bradley said UPS hopes to be able to handle 15,000 packages an hour. With additional growth, officials hope there's room for that number to double.
"Merging it into a community, a small community, seems to have a bigger effect than it would on larger municipalities. So Mebane will see the effect from the economic gains," said Bradley.
Rivera encourages those who are eager to get back into the workforce or interested in trying a new field to explore and connect with training opportunities and make it happen.
"There are tremendous training assets in our community that can prepare individuals to get placed into these jobs. Employers continue to be extremely innovative," Rivera said, "There’s work out there for those that are interested in getting back to work or getting into different types of work, there are training programs, a very short investment of time and money to get into those as well."