September 09, 2014
September 9, 2014 – Governor Pat McCrory, Board of Commissioners Chairman Kenneth Robinette and Enviva Pellets Hamlet, LLC has announced the construction of a pellet manufacturing plant on Highway 177 North. Enviva will be investing $107 million and hiring 79 employees when the plant is fully operational. Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the planned jobs is expected to be $37,961, exceeding the average annual wage in Richmond County ($30,788).
“This is good news on many levels for Richmond County. We have been working with Enviva for 18 months and the hard work is finally paying off. We welcome Enviva to Richmond County and look forward to working with them and their partners to make this a very successful project. This was a highly competitive project and again our persistence and business friendly environment has been successful.” said Richmond County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kenneth Robinette.
Commissioner Ben Moss stated, "This announcement will not only provide high paying direct jobs at the plant but will also provide additional opportunities for our forest industry as well as additional trains for CSX’s Hamlet operation. It has the potential to provide a major positive impact on Richmond County and we are glad they decided to locate here."
Enviva is one of the world’s largest producers of wood pellets made from a mix of low-grade wood resources, all of which are byproducts of the traditional sawtimber industry. Enviva wood pellets are high in density and have similar operational benefits to the coal they replace. With manufacturing facilities in North Carolina, Mississippi, and Virginia, Enviva has an annual production capacity of approximately 1.6 million metric tons. The company currently has 180 employees in North Carolina at plants in Hertford and Northampton counties and at a regional office in Raleigh.
Other partners who helped make this announcement possible are the State of North Carolina, CSX, Duke Energy, NC Ports, Richmond County Economic Development, and Richmond Community College.
To read Governor Pat McCrory's news release, click here
