The big deal: Linamar will bring almost 400 jobs to Asheville

County buys Volvo plant. County sells Volvo plant to Linamar Group, a Canadian manufacturer, the following year. Asheville gives Linamar $2.2 million in incentives over four years. Buncombe puts up $6.8 million in incentives. North Carolina pitches in $9 million. The hoped-for results? Almost 400 jobs for the Asheville-Buncombe area that pay, on average, more than $39,000 a year.

Governor Bev Perdue announces Linamar’s expansion. Photo by Jonathan Welch

Buncombe Commission­ers vote to buy former Volvo site for $7 million

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously June 28 to purchase the former Volvo plant at 2169 Hendersonville Road for $7 million in taxpayer funds. In the weeks leading up to the vote, county, city and state leaders have hinted that the purchase is part of a larger, multifaceted arrangement with a private employer to take over the site. And in the hours leading up to the vote, WLOS News 13 began reporting that the employer is the Canadian-based Linamar Corporation, a large manufacturer of engines, transmissions and drive trains.

New codes, new economy — not new nukes

What would allow our North Carolina legislators to fulfill their campaign promises to create jobs [and] protect homeowners and the environment without new nuclear plants? They have a win-win opportunity if they adopt the new 2012 Energy Conservation Code, which would increase energy efficiency by 15 percent in new residential and 30 percent in commercial […]

How much does a job cost?

According to Jake Frankel's article, It's the Economy, Stupid [Dec. 15, 2010 Xpress), the Buncombe County Commissioners approved a "$99.74 million federal stimulus loan to Ingles Markets Inc." The loan is to help Ingles [expand]  their facility in Black Mountain. The "completed projects would create at least 190 new full-time jobs, plus an unspecified number […]

Economic developmen­t: Putting the pieces together

Ever wondered who’s in charge of economic development in Asheville and Buncombe County? It’s a good question, but the answer is not so simple. In fact, there are literally dozens of players—some big, some small—that help shape the area’s economy. They include governmental agencies such as the city’s Office of Economic Development, quasi-governmental agencies such […]