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Economic Development News
Maker of
turbochargers expands in Asheville
BorgWarner Turbo Systems, a
leading designer and manufacturer of turbochargers for the
passenger car and commercial vehicle markets, has selected
Asheville for its new North American Headquarters and
Technology Center, according to a joint announcement by the
Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Buncombe County
Economic Development Commission. A new 23,000-square-foot,
state-of-the-art facility will be added at the Turbo Systems
campus in south Asheville along with office additions and
renovations to the existing 250,000-square-foot manufacturing
complex.
BorgWarner will invest nearly $50 million over five years in
the facility and equipment to support the needs of the North
American turbocharger market. BorgWarner Turbo Systems is part
of Chicago-based BorgWarner, Inc., a product leader in
highly-engineered components and systems for vehicle
powertrain applications worldwide.
BorgWarner already employs about 400 people at the Asheville
Turbo Systems Plant on Brevard Road and nearly 500 people at
the BorgWarner Cooling Systems Facility in Fletcher. The company will hire an additional 100 people, mostly
highly skilled engineers and professionals.
The new facility will encompass turbocharger test facilities
as well as engine and engine systems testing facilities.
“This announcement is yet another example that the
Asheville/Buncombe County area is a great location in which to
do business,” said David Young, chairman of the Buncombe
County Economic Development Commission.
“BorgWarner has facilities in 46 locations in 13 countries
and could have selected any number of locations for their new
divisional headquarters and technology center,” added Young.
“BorgWarner is synonymous with automotive innovation and to
have their Turbo Systems North American Headquarters and
Technology Center here in Asheville speaks highly of what this
area has to offer,” said Janice Brumit, chairman of the
Asheville chamber.
Duke seeks license renewals for two nuclear plants
Duke Energy petitioned the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission on Tuesday to renew the operating
licenses for both McGuire and Catawba nuclear stations. This
would enable the two power plants, which generated half of all
the electricity used by Duke’s two million customers in the
Piedmont section of North Carolina and South Carolina last
year, to remain in service into the 2040s.
“Our nuclear stations are an integral part of our overall
energy mix designed to safely and reliably meet our
customers’ electricity demands today and into the future,”
said Michael S. Tuckman, executive vice president of nuclear
generation. Upon successful completion of the license renewal
process, all three nuclear stations operated by Duke Power, a
business unit of Duke Energy, will be licensed to operate well
into the 21st century.
Oconee Nuclear Station, near Seneca, S.C., was the second
nuclear facility in the United States to obtain a renewed
license when it received NRC approval for a 20-year extension
last May. “This is a proud moment for Duke Power and its
employees, who have worked diligently to keep the lights on in
the Piedmont section of North Carolina and South Carolina,”
said Tuckman. “We have a tradition of meeting our
customers’ energy needs safely and efficiently. McGuire,
Catawba and Oconee play an integral role in meeting those
needs.”
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