German manufacturer establishes new headquarters in Winston-Salem
Ziehl-Abegg, a German manufacturer of ventilation systems, generators and other equipment, will break ground Wednesday on its new facility in Winston-Salem.
The company said it is investing more than $100 million into the new location and creating hundreds of new jobs. Ziehl-Abegg employs 5,000 people at 16 production plants globally, including an existing facility in Guilford County with over 200 employees. Upon opening, those 200 positions will be moved to the new site in Forsyth County. At least 300 new jobs will be added as a result of the expansion, according to the company.
The company is a partner employer of two local apprenticeship programs – the Learn and Earn Apprenticeship Program (LEAP) at Forsyth Technical Community College, and Guilford Apprenticeship Partners (GAP). It said it will continue recruiting from the programs as it looks to fill hundreds of positions in the new HQ.
Greater Winston-Salem Inc. helped coordinate the company's expansion. According to Laura Lee, Senior Vice President of Economic Development, the new site would create an economic hub, fueling the growth of Winston-Salem as a whole.
"This announcement and the groundbreaking today is a huge opportunity for us to continue our legacy of manufacturing, but also be able to see the future of where our community can go," Lee said. "And we do have a lot of bright things that are happening right now."
According to Greater Winston-Salem Inc., Ziehl-Abegg expects to move into the new site by 2024. The groundbreaking for the Union Cross Industrial Center is Wednesday at 2 p.m. at 4971 Millennium Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27107.