Governor Bev Perdue announced on Oct. 5 that Deere-Hitachi Construction Machinery Corporation, one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of excavators in the Americas, will expand its operations in Kernersville. The company plans to create at least 340 jobs by the end of 2016, and invest more than $97 million in its Forsyth County facility. The project was made possible in part by state grants from the Job Development Investment Grant and the One North Carolina Fund. The N.C. Department of Commerce’s Jan Critz was the developer on this project.
“Companies like Deere-Hitachi recognize that North Carolina is a great place to thrive because of our top-notch business climate, incredibly well-trained workforce, and central location with access to customers and transportation channels,” said Perdue. “When the company was ready to expand, North Carolina was the perfect choice.”
Deere-Hitachi is a 50/50 joint venture between John Deere, in Moline, Ill. and Hitachi Construction Machinery Corporation, in Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1988 to provide both Hitachi and Deere brand excavators to the Americans. As part of Perdue’s most recent visit to Japan, she met with executives at Hitachi to discuss its current presence in North Carolina and opportunities for it to grow.
Other partners who assisted with this announcement include: N.C. Community Colleges, N.C. State Ports Authority, N.C. Department of Transportation, Forsyth County, Town of Kernersville, Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, Forsyth Tech Community College, Duke Energy, Golden LEAF Foundation and Norfolk Southern Railroad. Read more.
Deere-Hitachi to expand in Kernersville, creating 340 jobs (WGHP – Greensboro, Oct. 5)