Today, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced TSEA Energy, a manufacturer of energy equipment, will establish its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Rockingham County. The company says it will create 160 jobs and invest $25 million in Eden.

“I am delighted to welcome TSEA Energy to North Carolina and Rockingham County,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Our highly skilled workforce, business-friendly environment, and convenient East Coast location will help them modernize the electrical grid as utilities meet the growing energy demand in our state and our nation.”

TSEA Energy has been delivering engineered solutions for power generation, transmission, and distribution systems since 1968. Specialized in large power transformers, voltage regulators and mobile substations, the company is recognized for its engineering expertise, with products in operation in more than 50 countries.

TSEA will manufacture its voltage regulators, equipment that supports grid stability, power quality, and system reliability, at a 160,000-square-foot facility in Eden, serving utilities across the United States.

The facility is expected to double TSEA’s global manufacturing capacity and will also include an engineering and R&D center, as well as a service center.

“The agreement with the State of North Carolina represents an important step in our international expansion and reinforces our long-term commitment to the U.S. market,” said Beto Reynaldo, Chief Executive Officer of TSEA. “We also value the strength of the country’s skilled manufacturing workforce and the opportunity to support the modernization of the U.S. power grid. This facility will be dedicated to serving the U.S. market and will allow us to work more closely with utilities as they upgrade and modernize their distribution networks.”

“We are excited to welcome more great manufacturing jobs to rural North Carolina,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Meeting the fast-growing demand for energy at home and beyond is our top class workforce, the largest advanced manufacturing workforce in the southeastern United States, that employers like TSEA need to support this work today and tomorrow.”

While wages vary by position, the annual average salary for the new positions will be $66,554, exceeding Rockingham County’s average of $46,154. These new jobs could potentially create an annual payroll impact of more than $7 million for the region.

A performance-based grant of $300,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will be awarded to a new company formed by TSEA Energy to help the company locate to North Carolina. The OneNC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and to create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. TSEA Energy must invest $17 million and create 106 jobs to receive OneNC grant payments. All OneNC grants require matching participation from local governments, and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.

“This announcement is outstanding news for Eden and our state,” said N.C. Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger. “We know TSEA could have located its manufacturing operations anywhere in the nation, but it chose Rockingham County, and we’re proud to be a partner in its global expansion.”

“These new jobs and investment are welcome additions to rural North Carolina,” said N.C. Representative Reece Pyrtle, Jr. “This announcement is the culmination of diligent work from local economic developers, Rockingham County, and state officials as they helped this company make such an important decision.”

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, the University of North Carolina System, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the North Carolina Community College System, Rockingham Community College, Rockingham County, Rockingham County Economic Development, Duke Energy, and the City of Eden.