Business

Incentives could bring 80 jobs, $24 million expansion

By Bill Moss, Published: May 14, 2013

FLETCHER — Borg Warner is considering a $24 million expansion that will add 80 jobs at its Cane Creek Industrial Park plant, the Henderson County Board of Commissioners said in announcing a public hearing for nearly $600,000 in economic development incentives.

The county will hold a hearing on Wednesday on a proposal to grant up to $585,504 in incentives over seven years to the motor vehicle parts maker, including $24,653 the first year. The incentives would help bring $24 million investment in equipment over five years and add jobs paying an average of $28 an hour, a memo to the Board of Commissioners says.

"They definitely have not committed at this point," said Andrew Tate, president of the Partnership for Economic Development. He said a company's announcement of expansion plans or a new plant sometimes comes the same day incentives are approved, sometimes weeks and months after and sometimes never.

Steve Racher, the BorgWarner plant manager, plans to attend the Board of Commissioners meeting to speak in more detail about the company's proposed expansion.

Under the board's incentives guidelines, the company must certifiy that it has provided the jobs it promised at the pay it promised in order to receive payments.