NC Gov. Mike Easley Announces $100K Grant to DHi

NC Gov. Mike Easley Announces $100K Grant to DHi

Raleigh, NC (October 11, 2006)— North Carolina Governor Mike Easley announced late last week that Defense Holdings Inc. (DHi) will open a new facility in Jones County, made possible in part by a $100,000 One North Carolina Fund grant.

DHi’s multipurpose Operations and Technology Development Center (OTDC), which will be located in the Trenton Industrial Park, is expected to create 25 new jobs in Jones County over approximately the next three years.

“Defense Holdings’ decision to expand in North Carolina means more good-paying jobs for hard-working families in Jones County,” Easley said. “We will continue to make the investments in education, infrastructure and workforce development so these kinds of companies continue to grow and succeed in our state.”

Headquartered in Manassas, Virginia, DHi is a military research and development services firm specializing in systems engineering, information science and technical program management services for the federal government. It currently has 54 employees in 10 locations around the United States.

DHi’s OTDC will house a number of business activities including managing work for military customers throughout eastern North Carolina; conducting research and development in the use of high-performance photoluminescent materials (materials that can be seen when there is little or no light) for military and commercial applications; converting bulk photoluminescent materials into finished products; and assembling leading-edge metal fiber brush kits that will be used in electric motors for the U.S. Navy submarine fleet.

While wages for the new jobs will vary by job function, the average weekly wage of the new jobs was initially expected to be $880 plus benefits, which is almost double the Jones County weekly average of $488 excluding benefits. Defense Holdings will be seeking to give many of those jobs to retired veterans.

“We believe that many talented veterans and their spouses leaving the military from their last assignment in North Carolina would prefer to stay here if the right opportunities existed,” said Richard J. Martin, president and CEO of Defense Holdings.  “We have had great success with this model in Dover, New Hampshire and Annapolis, Maryland, and we are confident it will happen in Jones County, North Carolina.”

The One North Carolina Fund assists the state in industry recruitment and expansion by providing financial assistance to business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs. Through the use of this Fund, more than 20,000 jobs and $3 billion in investment have been created since 2001. The grant is contingent upon a local match and acquisition of all required environmental permits.

Partners who helped make this announcement possible include the N.C. Department of Commerce, Golden LEAF Foundation, Jones County, Lenoir Community College-Jones County Branch, Neuse River Development Authority Inc., Jones-Onslow Electric Membership Corp. and the Small Business Technology Development Center.

(This news item was excerpted from the Governor’s press release of October 5, 2006.)