Issue link: http://businessnc.epubxp.com/i/756318
30 N O R T H C A R O L I N A E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T G U I D E T H E C I T Y O F A R T S A N D I N N O V AT I O N • Located within 650 miles of more than half the U.S. population • Ranked #4 in the U.S. for cost effective data centers by the Boyd Company • 240 acre urban-based research park • Regional workforce of over 800,000 • Cost of living well below the national average WI N S TON- S A L E M FORSYTH COUNTY www.wsbusinessinc.com (336) 723-8955 estern North Carolina isn't the only place in the state where auto-components manufacturing is thriving. Thanks to competitive advantages such as a favorable tax climate, business-friendly labor environment and access to an extensive rail system, North Carolina is home to more than 290 automotive- manufacturing establishments and a workforce of more than 26,000, according to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. This refl ects a 25% increase over the last fi ve years. In Shelby, about 45 miles west of Charlotte, the state's largest city, Cleveland Yutaka Corp. has been operating for 20 years. The precision auto-parts manufacturer is a subsidiary of Japan-based Yutaka Industry Co. and operates out of a 56,788-square-foot-facility, where it has invested more than $10 million. In addition to established companies like CYC, Shelby is also home to Germany-based KSM Castings Group, which in 2014 opened a 127,000-square-foot facility where it employs about 130 people. The company makes transmission parts. Jan-Christoph Schwarck, the president and plant manager, says KSM plans to invest about $80 million over the next six years, adding at least another 50,000 square feet and 120 new employees. Schwarck says he decided to locate the plant in Shelby due in part to the city's proximity to Charlotte Douglas International Airport as well as state and local incentives. The company also received a lot of support from local economic developers and Cleveland Community College. "They already had a workforce-training system in place that is comparable to German apprenticeship programs. This is a huge benefi t for us." In addition to all the business benefi ts, Schwarck says he and his family love living in Shelby. "We have waterfront property on a lake, which is something we could never fi nd in Germany. Plus, in Germany it rains about 250 days a year. Here, it's sunny 250 days a year. And while Europeans are reserved, people here are so friendly and open. Our neighbors actually say hello to us." E C O N O M I C D R I V E R W