Lumber manufacturer to invest $40M, create 43 jobs in Scotland County

Scotland County is promised a $40 million investment and 43 new jobs in Gov. Josh Stein’s latest incentives announcement this week. Pressure-treated lumber manufacturer Great Southern Wood-NC, Inc. (GSWNC) plans to build a lumber treatment manufacturing facility at the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport.

“We are excited that Great Southern Wood has decided to plant roots in North Carolina,” Stein said in a press release. “This new facility will strengthen our $41 billion forestry industry and offer more opportunities in Scotland County and beyond.”

Founded in Alabama in 1970, the company operates 16 treatment plants, with the new Laurinburg facility set to become its 17th. The plant will produce pressure-treated pine and distribute building materials to residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural dealers in 28 states and Washington, DC.

The project will be partially funded by a $200,000 performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund. The OneNC Fund offers financial support to local governments to encourage economic development, attract new investment, and generate employment opportunities. Companies do not receive money up front and must meet hiring and investment targets to receive payments. Local governments are required to match OneNC grants, and awards are contingent upon that match. 

“North Carolina already ranks as one of the best states in the country for business, so this $200,000 grant likely made little to no difference in the company’s decision,” Brian Balfour, senior vice president of research at the John Locke Foundation, told Carolina Journal.  “It amounts to a very expensive press release at taxpayers’ expense. Government should stay focused on protecting property rights and minimizing taxes and regulations on businesses, and stop putting their thumb on the scale in favor of specific businesses.”

Salaries will vary by position, but the average salary is $60,827, exceeding Scotland County’s average of $49,091 by $11,736, according to the press release. 

“Lumber manufacturer to invest $40M, create 43 jobs in Scotland County” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.