Sensus USA, Inc., a provider of advanced metering technologies to utilities and municipalities, will expand its current operations in Durham County, creating 301 new jobs over five years. The company will invest $4 million in North Carolina by the end of 2019.
Sensus is a wholly owned subsidiary of Xylem Inc., a leading global water technology company committed to developing technology solutions to the world’s water challenges. With its October 2016 acquisition of Raleigh-based Sensus, Xylem expanded its portfolio to include smart metering, network technologies and advanced data analytics for water, gas and electric utilities. Xylem’s Sensus business currently employs 684 people in North Carolina.
“Sensus is already doing business here in North Carolina, and the company knows the highly skilled talent, supportive business climate and world-class education system found across our state,” said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. “Sensus chose North Carolina for this expansion because our state has what it takes to help them succeed.”
Sensus has various operations in the Raleigh-Durham area, including a headquarters office, research and development operations and a manufacturing facility. Sensus is consolidating its footprint in the area and acquiring space to accommodate growing operations and new jobs.
“Xylem provides innovative products and compelling solutions to water and energy customers across the globe,” said Colin Sabol, Xylem senior vice president and president of measurement and control solutions. “We look forward to recruiting and hiring dedicated hardware and software engineers, supply chain managers and technical support engineers in North Carolina with assistance from the governor, Department of Commerce and its partners.”
Salaries for the new positions will vary by position with an average salary of $94,927. The current average wage in Durham County is $67,537.
“Sensus already employs more than 600 professionals in North Carolina, and this expansion will solidify Sensus’ partnership with our state,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland. “Expansions like this are testaments to our state’s talent, education and training opportunities and strong business climate.”
The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) led the state’s support for the company’s expansion.
Sensus’ expansion in Durham County will be supported, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Over the course of the grant’s 12-year term, the project will grow the state’s economy by an estimated $1.02 billion. Using a formula that accounts for the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $3,513,000 spread over 12 years. State payments only occur after the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.
Because Sensus chose to locate in Durham County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 3, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving as much as $1,171,000 into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. Even when new jobs are created in a Tier 3 county such as Durham, the new tax revenue generated through JDIG grants helps more economically challenged communities anywhere in the state.
Partnering with state Commerce and the EDPNC on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System and Durham Technical Community College, Durham County, the Durham Chamber of Commerce and the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster.