By Terri Flagg at The Stokes News:

Global copper company Wieland announced Wednesday plans to expand thermal solutions manufacturing in Pine Hall, a move that will involve a $27 million investment and add more than 50 jobs.

According to information provided in a December 4 statement issued by the Office of Gov. Roy Cooper, wages for the new positions will vary by position but average $56,900, exceeding the Stokes County average of $36,481 and potentially creating an annual payroll impact of more than $2.8 million for the region.

The expansion is contingent on approval of a grant incentive contract by the Stokes County Board of Commissioners, according to Ashley K. Huber, associate general counsel for Wieland.

Tory Mabe, who heads Stokes County Economic Development, said that details of the incentive contract will be announced at the start of a special meeting of the commissioners on Friday.

The December 6 meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. in the administration building at 1014 Main St. in Danbury. A public hearing will be held after the details are presented, and the commissioners are expected to vote after the hearing.

Board of Commissioners Chairman Keith Wood, describing the opportunity as “golden,” indicated that the officials are likely to approve the incentive contract.

“We’d be foolish not to,” he said, adding that the expansion is a perfect fit to bring jobs and investment to the county without having to sacrifice the rural lifestyle.

Wood, along with other county officials, county staff and Town of Walnut Cove commissioners Thomas Mitchell and Chad Jarvis, Wieland employees and state representatives, attended Wieland’s Dec. 4 announcement.

The press conference was held inside the large, half-empty portion of the thermal cooling area of the Pine Hall copper production site, which one employee described as a “business within a business.”

If the expansion goes forward, that space will be utilized to produce cooling technology for data centers as well as products that will go into the aerospace and defense industry.

Vincent Bushell, vice-president of Wieland’s North American Tubes division, Kenny Flowers, assistant secretary for rural economic development at the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Mabe and Wood spoke during the event.

The speakers represent the partnership making the expansion possible here locally. In addition to the potential county grant incentive, two state is poised to award two grant sources. One of those, One North Carolina Fund, involves $100,000 awarded to facilitate the expansion. Companies must meet job creation and investment targets to qualify for payment, and there is a county match requirement, according to the governor’s statement.

“We are proud to have Wieland bringing innovation and new jobs to Stokes County,” Mabe said in a statement released after Wieland’s announcement event. Mabe noted that the jobs may appeal to the younger generations in their innovative 3D printing area, and provide opportunity for Wieland to better supply market demand.

“The new products to be produced in Stokes County will supply the data center industry in addition, the cold plate product would provide components of cooling systems to the Aerospace & Defense industry,” Mabe said.

“Wieland has multiple sites across the globe but Stokes County Economic Development is proud that they have committed to increasing those capacities here in Pine Hall.”

The preceding article originally appeared on December 4, 2024 at The Stokes News website and is made available here for educational purposes only. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the U.S. Copyright Law.