NEW DETAILS: 1,000+ jobs coming to Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Governor Pat McCrory is scheduled to attend a news conference Thursday, where officials will announce more than 1,000 new jobs appear headed to New Hanover County.

County Commission Chair Woody White, who is also on the Board of Directors for Wilmington Business Development, says he’s heard the new company will be Vertex Rail Manufacturing. It is expected to bring about 1,300 jobs in all. Officials with the WBD say the formal announcement will be 2 p.m. Thursday.

According to a story on the website RailwayAge.com posted in February, Vertex Rail Manufacturing was formed by the merger of two other companies with plans to make tank cars, boxcars and covered hoppers at facilities in Massachusetts and Wilmington.

The manufacturer is expected to move into the old Terex plant on Raleigh Street near the port. Terex closed its doors in 2011. This will also be the location of Thursday’s announcement.

The news seems to match a recent posting on the North Carolina Employment Security Commission website. The posting for a “confidential employer” in Wilmington says at least 1,100 people will be hired for jobs including forming of metals, welders, fitters, assemblers, blasters, painters, movers and quality inspectors. Pay for those jobs ranges from $13 to $27 per hour.