St. Petersburg-based Jabil announced it plans to build a $500 million manufacturing plant in North Carolina.
The electronics manufacturer was considering sites in Florida, North Carolina and others in the Southeastern U.S. Economic incentives offered in North Carolina may have sealed the deal, according to a media release.
The new plant will support Jabil’s cloud and AI data center customers and bring more than 1,000 jobs to Rowan County, North Carolina, according a release from the office of Governor Josh Stein. It will grow the state’s economy by $3 billion over the next 12 years, the release said.
A lack of direct monetary incentives may be the reason that Florida missed out on the deal, said Mario Rodriquez, the director of business services for CareerSource Tampa Bay, a workforce development agency. It’s unclear where in Florida Jabil was considering.
During the pandemic, many companies had interest in moving to Florida because the state remained open despite health concerns, said Rodriquez. During that time Florida’s financial incentive program lapsed, he said.
The Rowan County site, which is north of Charlotte in the central part of the state, will offer skilled manufacturing and engineering jobs, according to the media release.
North Carolina will reimburse Jabil up to $11 million over the next 12 years as part of its incentive package, the release said.
Jabil has 30 locations across the country, two of which are in North Carolina. The company is known for its manufacturing and investment in automation and process optimization.
Jabil plans to open the facility next year.
