Castle Branch to bring headquarters, 420 jobs to Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A national company with a background in North Carolina will build its headquarters in Wilmington.

After looking into opportunities in California and Canada, Castle Branch, which does background and drug screenings for employers, says Wilmington is the place it will continue to call home.

At a news conference this afternoon, Castle Branch CEO and founder Brett Martin announced the company plans to add 420 new jobs and invest about $10 million in a new world headquarters next to its current facility near Mayfaire.

The New Hanover County Commission and Wilmington City Council pledged a combined $500,000 incentive package to help the deal. Martin, though, says staying was not about the money.

“Let’s put this in context. Our investment is south of $60 million, so the $500,000 is an indication that the county and the city want us here. It’s certainly not going to fund the product by any means, but it is an indication that they want us to stay here, and that’s truly important,” Martin said.

Martin says that the company will begin filling those new positions once it starts construction on the new building. That is expected to take about 14 months to be ready.