Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cumberland County OKs incentives for manufacturer 'Project Superman' after public hearing
Summary
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a five-year economic incentive agreement for an existing manufacturer identified as "Project Superman," contingent on job and investment targets.
Cumberland County commissioners voted unanimously Oct. 6 to approve an economic incentive package for an existing manufacturer referred to in the meeting as "Project Superman," following a public hearing and a presentation by local economic development officials.
The vote approves a five-year, declining incentive grant not to exceed the amount referenced in staff materials and in the motion. County staff said the incentive is tied to the company meeting job-creation and wage thresholds each year.
Robert Van Gheens, executive director of Fayetteville–Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation, told the board the project would develop a 75-acre tract, add about 42 full‑time jobs with an average wage around $66,700 and represent roughly $22 million in new building and equipment investment.
Van Gheens said the company, which manufactures steel products and already operates facilities in other states, currently employs 58 people and was being actively recruited against competing sites in Virginia and South Carolina. He said the project follows the county's incentive guidelines and that no year's grant payment would exceed the new tax revenue generated by the project.
Vice Chairwoman Sheryl Jones moved to approve the incentive grant; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously.
The board opened and closed the required public hearing; no members of the public spoke on the item.
Clarifying details: the staff presentation and board motion used slightly different figures for the maximum incentive (the staff presentation said $363,050; the motion referenced $363,500). The record shows both numbers; the board approved the incentive as presented on the motion. The incentive is structured so payments will be made only if the company meets the annual job and wage requirements and will not exceed the actual new tax revenue collected in any year, according to staff comments.
The board did not place additional conditions in the motion beyond those described in the staff presentation and the county policy on economic development incentives.
