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Altec to add 100 jobs

For the second time since buying a division of Pike Industries in 2016, Altec Industries Inc. has announced expansion plans at its Mount Airy location.

This time, the firm says it will add 100 jobs to its existing operation, as well as invest more than $9 million in both the present facility and a new 100,000 square-foot building it will construct.

The expansion comes about after the company and the Surry County Board of Commissioners put together an agreement that will use state grant funds to help with the extension of a natural gas line to the current Altec site just outside of Mount Airy.

The grant was awarded from the North Carolina Governor’s Office and the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Surry County was a recipient of an Industrial Development Fund, Utility Account Grant in the amount of $540,000, and Surry County will contribute $180,000 to help match the grant funds.

This grant will help construct a natural gas line to the current Altec facility where the company will build an additional 100,000 square foot structure to aid in its distribution and manufacturing processes, company officials said.

“Surry County…is excited about this project and is happy to provide incentive funding to make this a reality,” said Mark Marion, chairman of the board of commissioners. “The board of commissioners would like to thank Altec for expanding operations, Frontier Natural Gas for extending the natural gas line, and the Surry County Economic Development Partnership, the state, and all other partners who made this possible.

”Surry County citizens need good jobs and this project will add more to our economy, as well as bring natural gas to an area that could really benefit from its addition. We have a real opportunity here to take advantage of natural gas, which can help grow and expand our economy, increasing jobs in Surry County and providing more income to our hard-working citizens,” he said.

“Altec is grateful to be a part of the continued growth in Surry County and we appreciate the outstanding partnership that has been developed with the leaders in this community,” said Ben Griffin, Altex general manager. “We receive tremendous support from the local economic development group, county leadership, and our state representatives. In particular, we’d like to extend our appreciation to the Surry County Economic Development Partnership, the Surry County Commissioners, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina for granting the funding to bring the much-needed natural gas line to Altec’s Mount Airy facility. It is a critical element to our growth plans for the plant and will allow us to continue to create new job opportunities within the community.”

This is the second significant expansion Altec has undertaken over the past five years. In 2016 the company bought a division of Pike Electric, establishing a presence in the community. Less than a year-and-a-half later, the firm announced its first expansion, adding 50 jobs with a total investment of more than $5 million, coming from a combination of state and local grants and company resources.

“We are very excited that Altec is growing its presence here in Surry County,” said Todd Tucker, president of the Surry County Economic Development Partnership. “We have worked with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Surry County, Frontier Natural Gas, and others to help them expand and create more good-paying jobs.

Altec’s Griffin said as part of the expansion, the firm is seeking qualified applicants for numerous positions including assemblers, welders, material handlers, CDL drivers, engineers, and technical salesmen.