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<br /> 1 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Greene for
<br /> 2 the Board to approve a proclamation designating November 21, 2019 as Care to Share Day,
<br /> 3 and authorized the Chair to sign it.
<br /> 4
<br /> 5 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
<br /> 6
<br /> 7 5. Public Hearings
<br /> 8
<br /> 9 a. Public Hearing Regardinq an Economic Development Recruitment Incentive for
<br /> 10 Piedmont Metalworks, LLC
<br /> 11
<br /> 12 BACKGROUND: Local and state government in North Carolina have the goal to promote
<br /> 13 economic development by encouraging the location of new businesses and the expansion of
<br /> 14 existing businesses. This activity serves to diversify the local tax base, increase employment
<br /> 15 opportunities and introduce desired job skills and related benefits to a community, and for the
<br /> 16 benefit of its residents. The Local Government Act, North Carolina General Statute (NCGS)
<br /> 17 158-7.1 outlines the requirements of public hearings, and NCGS 158-7.1(a) specifically
<br /> 18 addresses the requirement that economic development appropriations "must be determined by
<br /> 19 the governing body of the city or county to increase the population, taxable property, agriculture
<br /> 20 industries, employment, industrial output, or business prospects of the city or county" This
<br /> 21 public hearing has been scheduled in compliance.
<br /> 22
<br /> 23 Project Description:
<br /> 24 Piedmont Metalworks, LLC is a locally-owned structural and sheet metal fabrication company
<br /> 25 serving industries throughout the Southeast United States. The firm's staff of 12 metal-working
<br /> 26 professionals has over 100 years of collective sheet metal fabrication experience and has
<br /> 27 performed custom work for many facilities around the region, including the Raleigh-Durham
<br /> 28 International Airport (ticket counters and jetway entrances), the North Carolina Museum of Art
<br /> 29 and North Carolina Museum of Natural History in Raleigh, UNC Chapel Hill (HVAC mounting
<br /> 30 platform), and the U. S. Marine Corps (tethered aerostat/ blimp towing vehicles). Manufactured
<br /> 31 parts include enclosures, cabinets, housings, railroad sinks and toilets, panels, brackets, racks
<br /> 32 and recycling collection boxes. Products are made with structural steel and various sheet metal
<br /> 33 including mild steel, aluminum, stainless steel, galvanized, brass and copper.
<br /> 34
<br /> 35 Manufacturing skills include plasma cutting, welding, design and CAD engineering, powder
<br /> 36 coating and silk screening. The average annual salary is $41,236 plus full employment benefits
<br /> 37 including medical, dental, and 401(k) match. Piedmont Metalworks currently has operations at
<br /> 38 1551 Cooper Street in Durham, but has determined to relocate to either Orange County, or,
<br /> 39 competing sites and available building options in Alamance County. Management of the firm
<br /> 40 contacted Orange County Economic Development in July of this year to inquire about potential
<br /> 41 financial incentives to consolidate operations here, and the BOCC met and discussed this
<br /> 42 project in closed session on September 3, 2019.
<br /> 43
<br /> 44 Under the same ownership by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richie Richmond is the Orange
<br /> 45 County-based custom sheet metal fabrication company, Forma-Fab Metals, which
<br /> 46 manufactures enclosures, cabinets, housings, panels, brackets, racks, bus bars, and covers.
<br /> 47 That firm, which has two locations at 5816 U.S. Highway 70 and at 6600 E. Washington Street
<br /> 48 in Orange County (between the Cheeks community and Mebane), has 68 local employees, and
<br /> 49 75,000 square feet of manufacturing space with a total Orange County property tax valuation of
<br /> 50 $2,916,600.
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