Feb 13 (Reuters) – When the Volvo manufacturing plant shut its doors in Asheville, North Carolina, in 2010 and moved more than 200 jobs out of state, it was time for Ben Teague to go to work.
As the region’s economic development officer, he worked with state and local officials to advertise the town’s skilled labor force and offer the right mix of incentives to lure in a new business.
Now, Linamar Corp, a Canadian manufacturer, is making engine blocks and wheel axles for giant mining trucks at the plant, employing 150 people with a plan to expand to 650 in coming years.
From Reuters:
“That’s a huge piece of business for us,” Teague said in an interview.
The manufacturing turnaround that happened in Asheville is something that President Barack Obama wants to spur in more communities.
Obama, set to visit the Linamar plant on Wednesday, devoted a sizeable portion of his State of the Union address to describing how he sees manufacturing as a linchpin for expanding good-paying middle class jobs
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