US Forged Rings Announces New Steel Facility that Would Create up to 625 New Jobs in Hertford County

US Forged Rings (USFR), a manufacturer of large steel components, announced today it’s establishing a manufacturing facility in Hertford County that would bring up to 625 jobs and $875 million worth of investment to the community.

“US Forged Rings’ investment in Hertford County is a ringing endorsement of our state’s top-notch workforce,” said Governor Josh Stein. “We are committed to delivering the talent companies need and bringing good-paying jobs to every corner of our state, including northeastern North Carolina with this project.”

Incorporated in March 2022, USFR is backed by an industrial group with more than 40 years of experience in steel fabrication and forging around the world. Products include critical service fabrications, specialty tubulars and forgings, used in power generation such as reactors, heat-exchangers and high temperature steam handling; and industrial components such as rings, shafts and cylinders used in a variety of other industries, like the marine, mining, defense and Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) markets.

“This investment into the first two phases of our Hertford County, North Carolina facility will bring good paying jobs back to America, substitute imports, lower dependency on foreign suppliers, increase the resilience of the U.S. economy, helping to lower uncertainty in the costs and timing of building power plants and other critical infrastructure the country very much needs,” said Giacomo Sozzi, USFR president and CEO.

Due to the size of the steel components being produced, water access was critical to the project. The manufacturing facility will be located adjacent to Nucor Steel’s processing plant and sit along the Chowan River, which feeds into the Albemarle Sound and then the Atlantic Ocean.

USFR anticipates the project occurring over three phases, the first two of which would result in 625 new jobs. Over the course of all three phases, the company said the potential total investment could reach $875 million.

The company also says the average annual wages for these jobs would be $80,000, significantly higher than the average Hertford County annual wage of $47,917.

“USFR’s decision to invest in eastern North Carolina is a powerful endorsement of a region that is primed for continued industrial growth,” said Christopher Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. “With the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast and a strong inventory of development-ready sites, North Carolina is positioned to help projects like this move quickly from announcement to operation.”

Hertford County, located in eastern North Carolina, is home to 19,000 people with some of its notable industries being advanced manufacturing, metals and materials production, and construction materials. This project would be the largest in Hertford County economic development history, according to EDPNC data which goes back to 2014, and at full job capacity would grow the number of jobs in the county by nearly 8 percent.

About the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) is a private nonprofit corporation that serves as North Carolina’s statewide economic development organization. Governed by an 18-member board of business and industry leaders from across the state, the EDPNC focuses on business and job recruitment, existing industry support, international trade, tourism and film marketing. The EDPNC, which operates under contract with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, works closely with public- and private-sector partners at the state, regional and local levels. To learn more, visit edpnc.com.